


Unexpected Business

by rockondean



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Male Slash, Mpreg, Porn, Pregnant Jensen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 223,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockondean/pseuds/rockondean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Title: Unexpected Business<br/>Author: rockondean<br/>Rating: NC-13? Nothing too bad, but not sure what’s going to happen yet<br/>Pairing: Jared/Jensen<br/>Disclaimer: I don’t own anything or anyone, just a laptop and an overactive imagination<br/>Summary: Jared is an aspiring young advertiser fresh from college looking for a job.  He lands a job with top business executive Jensen Ackles who turns out to be a real arrogant jerk and the job is initially nothing like he hoped it would be.  What happens when their work relationship develops, reaching it’s climax at a drunken night at the Christmas party, which leads to Jared getting his boss pregnant. Can the unlikely couple from completely different words end up falling in love and becoming a family?<br/>Warnings: Mpreg obviously! Jensen being a total jackass, lol!<br/>A/N: I know nothing about business or advertising<br/>Also on my LJ page under the same name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Jared Padalecki was an aspiring young advertiser.  He was currently sitting in the main entrance of the office of the best company in the business- Ackles Advertising.  He was waiting in line to be interviewed for a junior assistant job.  It wasn’t what he wanted but he knew that to make it big, you had to start somewhere, and that usually meant starting right at the bottom.  
  
He could quite easily work his way to achieve his dream job as a successful advertiser.  But he knew that he only had one shot to get this job, in particular.  To have a company as big and as successful as Ackles Advertising on his résumé would look very impressive indeed and could unlock any door he wanted in the future.  
  
The pay was only a fraction over the minimum wage but it would just about pay his share of the rent on the two bedroom apartment which he shared with his good friend Chloe whom he had known since kindergarten.   
   
Jared cautiously eyed the rest of the candidates who were sitting next to him.  There was a young, thin man who was wearing a suit that was at least two sizes too big for him.  He was bouncing his knees up and down frantically whilst biting the skin around his nails.  
  
His eyes moved down to the next person.  A smartly dressed woman who was sitting up poker straight.  Her nails were perfectly manicured and there was not a hair out of place.  She was fairly attractive but she wore far too much make-up, giving her skin a ghastly orange tinge to it.  She was pre-occupied in filing her nails and flipping through her resume, calmly.  
  
As he moved further down the line, he saw someone that could potentially pose as a threat.  This man looked a little older than himself and was wearing a perfectly tailored suit.  He held tightly onto his briefcase as he skimmed through sheets of paper on the clipboard that was resting on top of the briefcase. Shit, Jared thought.  He was obviously well prepared.   
  
Jared looked down at himself. He had very little money as he was spent out from putting himself through college.  His parents had loaned him some money to buy his suit.  It was nothing special, but it fitted him well in all the right places.  His shoes were brand new and just out of the box and were gleaming back up at him.  All he had with him was a small black bag which contained his résumé and a few other things that might be needed for the interview.  
  
He had done his research into the background of the company and it’s excellent reputation that came with it.  It was a family run company and was now in the hands of the original founder’s great grandson- Jensen Ackles.  He had memorised their average gross income and turn overs and some of their most successful work.  
  
Finally, after watching the candidates come and go, his name was called and he was taken up in the elevator to the top floor and led into a large open plan office.  Jared paused in the doorway to read the name on the door.   
  
Jensen Ackles.    
  
He didn’t think that he’d be meeting the top man himself.  Surely he would be interviewed by a panel of his employers. His nerves were frayed and his throat dried up.  He suddenly felt un-prepared and very awkward and uncomfortable.  
  
“Sit down” Jensen said distractedly as he gestured to the empty chair on the opposite side of his desk. “Tell me something about yourself” he asked with the same monotone he had used with all of the other candidates.  
  
Jared swallowed back the wave of nausea and dug down deep to find his voice that was lost with all the anxiety. “Uh…my name is Jared” he started.  It was simple but breaking the ice gave him the confidence he needed to continue. “I left college a few months ago.  I really want to become a successful advertiser someday.  I know all about your company, sir” he added out of respect and kindness. “You’re one of the longest running companies in the business, you finally went global 20 years ago…….”.  
  
Jensen raised his hand and cut Jared off mid sentence. “Okay, so you’ve Googled me.  Big wow. Any monkey can do that. When can you start?”.  
  
Jared’s mouth went impossibly dry.  He was sure that he had misheard. “What? You’re offering me the job? You chose me?” he asked, positive that there had been a complete misunderstanding.  
  
“Don’t flatter yourself.  There was not a lot to choose from really.  One of them was a snivelling snotty kid fresh from high school who looked like he would crap his pants at the first instance, and the other’s seemed too high maintenance for me to cope with.  I don’t do drama queens. So  by process of elimination, you’re the only one left.  So when can you start?” Jensen asked in a bored, monotonous voice.  He was keen to move on from this and carry on with his day.  
  
“Uh……” Jared said feeling a pang of disappointment.  He was getting the job through default, not through his hard work, determination and enthusiasm. Still, there was no way he was going to turn it down. “As soon as you want me to”.  
  
“Great. How about right now. I’ve got your first task lined up” Jensen said as he pushed a pile of papers through the paper shredder, not really paying much attention to the younger man on the opposite side of the desk.  
  
Jared was a bit taken back. He didn’t know if he was ready to dive straight into the deep end yet.  He hadn’t expected to start so soon.  He would have read through some of his old college books if he had known. “I can start now” he said painting a smile on his face to hide his obvious apprehension.  
  
Jensen stiffened. “Great.  Now here’s what I want.  Try to keep up because you need to get it right. A skinny latte, lightly frothed milk dusted with amaretto, not cinnamon, that stuff just makes me heave.  And for God’s sake, make sure that they secure the lid because I don’t want it cold when it gets to me”.  
  
“You want me to get you coffee?” Jared asked disbelievingly as he blinked back at the other man.  
  
“Don’t interrupt me.  I’m not done yet. I also need a sesame seed bagel, lightly toasted and fresh from the oven.  Think you can manage that?” Jensen demanded as he waved a finger in the air.  
  
Jared faltered. “Yeah. It’s just, I thought that this was a junior assistant advertiser post?”. He tried to hide his shock and disappointment without sounding too rude.  After all, it was rude to look a gift horse in the mouth. The words ‘You have to start somewhere’ echoed in his head.  
  
Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “It is.  Well alright, it’s just a posh way of saying coffee boy but that sounds a bit harsh, don’t you think? If you’ve got a problem with the job Jarrett, I’m sure I could find someone else.  There‘s people lining up to work for me”.   
  
“Actually it’s Jared” he muttered under his breath. “There’s no problem. I’ll go and get them for you right now”. He wasn’t sure where he was going to get them from seeing as his new boss didn’t specify where from, but he agreed to the task in hand anyway.  This was San Francisco and there was a Coffee Bean at practically every corner.  
  
“Excellent” Jensen said satisfied. “Don’t take too long though.  I’ve got a conference call in 20 minutes and I need my caffeine fix before then, so off you go” he said waving his hand to indicate that they were finished here.  
  
Jared moved awkwardly off the chair and stood up. “Yes sir” he said fumbling around to get a hold of his bag. His thigh caught the sharp corner of the table and he bit his lip to stop himself from cursing out loud.  
  
Jensen looked up from his desk and addressed his new eager assistant. “Oh and you shall address me as Mr.Ackles” he said, simply put.  
  
Not knowing what else to do or say, Jared looked at his watch, mentally worked out his time limit and left the office, closing the door behind him as silently and as inconspicuously as he could. “Fuck” he said as he rubbed his bruised leg.  
  
He had resigned himself to the fact that he would have to start at the bottom somewhere, but he didn’t think that he’d have to sink this low to get what he wanted to ultimately achieve his final goal.  He hadn’t wasted all of his time and money in going through college just to be someone’s servant. He sighed heavily.  He had a feeling that Mr. Jensen Ackles was going to be a very hard man to please and that the stick up his ass would be a permanent fixture.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
                                                                                                 
As Jared lived in the neighbourhood, his apartment being only a mile away, he was familiar with the surroundings which would make his task slightly easier on him.  He headed to the nearest coffee place that he knew would serve the very specific items that his new employer wanted.  It was lucky that he was good at memorising instructions.  His photographic memory had earned him high credits in some of his modules.  
  
His phone started to vibrate in the inside pocket of his jacket.  He had obviously forgotten to switch it off.  He had a feeling that had it have gone off in his ‘interview’ it wouldn’t have gone down too well.  He made a mental note to disable the vibration settings for future reference. He smiled as he saw the caller ID.  He kept up his fast pace towards the coffee shop, grateful for his long legs- as he flipped up the lid on his cell and barely had a chance to say anything before the familiar voice started to chat animatedly.   
  
“So? Did you get the job then?” Chloe asked excitedly. “I’ve been waiting for you to ring for ages.  I couldn’t wait anymore”.  
  
“Yeah, I got the job” Jared said glumly. He moved his cell away from his ear as his best friend started to scream happily down the other end of the phone.  
  
“I knew you could do it!” Chloe squeaked. “I told you that doing some research into the company would get you through.  These corporate people, they like that sort of thing, makes them feel more important…inflates their egos….”.  
  
Jared rolled his eyes at the irony. “Yeah” he said as he entered the busy coffee shop.  He frowned at the queue that backed up all the way back to the door.  It was peak time.  Excellent.  He was going to screw up his first task.  He was going to fail the simple task of getting his boss a cup of coffee and a bagel.  
  
Chloe could sense her best friend’s low mood from over the other end of the phone. “Jay? What’s wrong? I thought this was what you wanted, right?”.  
  
Jared took a small step forward as there was one less person in front of him in the queue. “Yeah.  It is what I want.  I want to be an advertiser Chlo.  Not a fricking coffee boy….not that there‘s anything wrong with that” he added quickly.  
  
“What? You have got to be kidding me.  Why the hell can’t he get his own damn coffee.  He’s got two arms and two legs, right?” his friend asked.  
  
“Yes he has.  But apparently he doesn’t like to use them to do such simple, mundane tasks as that.  That’s probably a bit beneath him” Jared said as he took one more step forwards in the lengthy queue to the counter.  
  
Chloe huffed. “So that’s your job then? To pander to his every whim?  Bow at his feet? Jay, you didn’t spend all that time and money going to college to wait hand and foot on some big shop arrogant prick who’s obviously had everything handed to him on a plate by mommy and daddy”.  
  
Jared suddenly realised what he had agreed to do.  And for just over the minimum wage too.  He cringed.  He was glad that his room-mate couldn’t see him blushing like hell right now. “Well I’ve got to start somewhere.  It’s bound to get me somewhere in the end Chlo”.  
  
“I know sweetie, but you’ve worked hard in college.  And now you’ve just accepted a job that pays less than what I earn.  And I’m a waitress who never went to college!  You’re effectively doing the same dead-end job that I’m doing but for less money” Chloe said diplomatically.  
  
As he edged closer to the front of the queue, Jared checked his watch.  10 minutes of his precious time had already lapsed.  He was now cutting it dangerously fine. “I know you’re only looking out for me Chlo, but seriously, it’ll work out okay.  It’s not going to be like this forever.  I’ll put my feelers out and look for something bigger and better” he said, trying to convince and reassure himself of that fact.  
  
“You’re my best friend Jay, and I care about you.  I just don’t want you to throw away your life after working so hard to get here” Chloe said as she tried to cheer up her friend.  
  
Jared was now very near the front of the queue and he hadn’t even read the board to see what he needed to order. He didn’t have time to waste trying to decipher the menu when it was his turn to be served. “Chlo, I’ve got to go.  If I don’t get his coffee and bagel back in 8 minutes I think my life won’t be worth living!”.  
  
Chloe clicked her tongue. “Fine. I’ll see you later on at home.  I’ll order us in a pizza and put a bottle of wine in the fridge ready”.  
  
“That sounds like just what I need.  I’ll see you later on.  Love you” Jared said as he pulled the phone away from his ear.  
  
“Wait!” Chloe shouted quickly.  
  
Jared brought the phone back to his ear. “What?”.  
  
“Aren’t you just a little tempted to spit in his coffee?” she asked wickedly.  She smiled when she heard her best friend laugh.   
  
“Yeah.  A little bit!” Jared said amusedly.  He could always rely on Chloe to put a spin on things and to cheer him up when he’s down. “See you later Chlo” he said as he ended the call.  He made sure to switch off his cell before tucking it safely back away in his jacket pocket.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
Jared pressed the button on the elevator frantically, crossing his fingers that it would hurry up and reach his level.  There was no way that he was going to be able to run up twelve flights of stairs.  Especially since he’d already ran from the coffee place.  He looked at his watch. 90 seconds left and counting.  Finally the door to the elevator opened and he got in.  As he watched the level indicator on the panel count up, he peered into the bag to make sure that the coffee hadn’t spilt onto the bagel. He had a feeling that Sir Ackles would not be amused with a soggy bagel.  
  
It couldn’t have worked out any better. He skidded to a halt outside his new boss’s office door just as his mental alarm went off in his head.  The door was slightly ajar.  Should he just walk straight in? Or should he knock first?  He had know no idea on the ‘protocol’. Before he had time to ponder the situation, a voice from the inside summoned him in.  
  
“About time too.  Don’t linger in the doorway.  I need my coffee” Jensen said with authority.  He took the bag from his assistant and took out the cup and bagel.  He inspected them both for a few seconds then crumpled the paper bag up into a ball and threw it into the trash can by the side of his desk. “That will do.  You can go now” he said.  
  
Jared had practically killed himself getting the coffee and bagel to him on time.  Actually nearly got himself killed by running across the pedestrian crossings when the red hand told him not to cross.  And he didn’t get anything close to a ‘Thank you’.  Not a single sign of gratitude.  He cleared his throat subtly and plucked up the courage to speak aloud. “Go where?” he asked bravely, astonished at how weak and shaky his voice sounded.  This was ridiculous.  This man was only a few years older than him and yet he was afraid to say anything to upset him to jeopardise his chances of getting anywhere with his job.  
  
Jensen looked up from his desk and sighed.  He took a sip of his coffee. He frowned slightly, but took another sip nonetheless. “To Brad’s office.  He’s got the list of all the errands that you need to undertake today.  I shall be in touch when I require your assistance again.  Thank you Jarrett”.  
  
Jared just nodded his head. “It’s Jared” he corrected him under his breath. He didn’t have the faintest idea who Brad was or where his office was located.  He didn’t want to ask so he nodded his head and exited the office.  Chloe was right.  He was practically bowing down to him and kissing his expensive Italian leather shoes. “What the hell have I got myself into?” he cursed himself.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
  
After walking aimlessly around on the 12th floor, and making some enquiries, Jared finally found himself outside an office door bearing the name ‘Brad Jennings’ on the front of it.  
  
He tapped gently on the door and pressed his ear up against it to listen for a reply.  When a gruff voice told him to enter he turned the handle and pushed the door open.  No-one could be any worse than the big man himself so he was prepared.  
  
Brad Jennings was a sharply dressed, burly looking man in his late forties Jared guessed.  He looked to be friendly and approachable enough. “What can I do for you?” he asked.  
  
Jared looked around the office.  It was much different to Jensen’s.  Jensen’s had lacked any personal touches.  There were no family pictures, nothing that made it distinguishable as his. Brad’s desk contained several pictures of what Jared presumed to be his wife and three children- two sons and a daughter.  Hung up on his notice board were pictures and drawings done by children- presumably his own.  
  
“I’m Jared” he said extending out his hand.  
  
Brad took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you Jared.  Do you have an appointment?” he asked as he scanned the diary in front of him.  
  
“No.  I’m uh…well Mr Ackles’ new assistant.  He only hired me like half an hour ago.  He told me to come and see you” Jared said nervously. “That’s the only instruction I received, and I’m not entirely sure what I’m meant to do” he admitted.  
  
“Sit down then Jared. So you’re the latest unlucky bastard who’s been carefully selected to attend to our master’s needs?” Brad said amusedly. “The most anyone has ever lasted was a month.  And that’s because they were off sick for over 3 weeks!”.  
  
Jared opened his mouth to speak but when he couldn’t think of anything to say, he shut it again quickly.  
  
“So, are you hoping to get into advertising then?” Brad asked the latest addition to the company.  
  
Finally someone was getting down to it, enabling him to express an interest and enthusiasm in his chosen career. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to find someone to take me on for a few months now, since leaving college…….”.  
  
“Well believe me, you’re not the first I’ve seen come through these doors looking for a job and to get on the career ladder.  And no-one has been successful as yet, everyone has crumbled under pressure from the wrath of the Ackles curse.  As you’ve probably worked out for yourself already, our boss is a very hard man to please.  We all work our arses off here kid, but it’s never good enough and we don’t get any thanks. Just a party with cheap food and drink every Christmas” Brad said as he stretched his arms up above his head. “You’d think, with all of his money…..well…never mind, eh?”.  
  
Jared’s face fell even more than he thought possible.  He had only been employed for less than an hour or so and it was already unbearable.  Maybe the key to his success was to try and out-do the previous assistances and beat the record of staying at least a month. “Okay, so my job sucks and I’m not going to get any joy here.  I’ve failed before I’ve even started. You may as well make the rest of my day and give me the list or errands that I’ve got to do today”.  
  
Brad felt genuinely sorry for the poor kid that had obviously been allured here under false allusions of getting somewhere. He retrieved his e-mail, opened up the attachment and clicked print.  He picked up the sheet of paper and scanned down the list. “Do you drive?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah.  But I don’t have a car.  I live not that far away.  In a big city like this I don’t see the point of me owning one.  I walk everywhere or take public transport.  It’s too costly to keep a car when I don’t need to use it” Jared said.  He stopped as he realised that he was rambling on.    
  
“Then I just hope that you’re a fast walker or great at hailing taxi’s.  Otherwise you’re going to have an extremely long day ahead of you” the older man said as he handed over the list of errands to Jared.  
  
The young assistant took the paper and scrolled down the list, frowning at each one.  Brad was right.  Today was going to be an extremely long and tiring day. It’s just as well that he knew the city like the back of his hand.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
“Evening coffee boy” Chloe said as she greeted her best friend with a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Jared groaned and loosened his tie before throwing it down on the couch. He signalled to the full glass of wine on their recycled coffee table. “Is that mine?” he asked hopefully.  
  
Chloe flicked her blond hair behind her ears and sipped from her own wine glass. “Yep! I couldn’t wait for you to come back so I’ve eaten my half of the pizza.  It’s in the microwave ready for you to re-heat. And yes, I gave you all of my bits of pepperoni”.  
  
“I love you, do you know that?” Jared said as he took a swig of wine from his glass.  He slouched back in the couch and lifted his friend’s legs up to rest on his.  
  
“I’m not really your type now am I Jay? I’m missing the vital tackle that you seem to enjoy so much” she joked.  
  
Jared punched her playfully on the arm. “You know what I mean. So tell me about your day”.  
  
Chloe looked at him dazed. “You know exactly how my day goes. I get to work by half eight, open up, turn on the coffee pot, take orders, pour the coffee, take to the table, and repeat until all the customers are satisfied. I want to hear about your day”.  
  
“Chlo…..” Jared moaned. “I’m so tired.  I’ve literally been running around the entire city all day”.  
  
“I’ll re-heat your pizza for you and make you my famous chocolate ice cream sundae?” she said enticingly.  
  
“Damn it.  You always use your ice-cream sundae against me.  You know I can’t resist. Fine.  So this is what happened after I got off the phone to you……..” Jared started as his best friend kept up her promise and pressed the re-heat program on the microwave.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
Jensen parked his silver Porsche in the underground parking facility of his luxury apartment, overlooking downtown San Francisco.  He looked at his watch.  It was gone 11:30pm.  It didn’t matter, no-one was expecting him home.  No family waiting eagerly for his arrival. No-one even rang him at home except for his parents who only rang when it came to business matters, never on a personal level.  His parents had shipped him off to boarding school when he was just about able to walk by himself.  
  
Even though his parent’s had handed him the reigns to their company, he felt that he had to keep trying to prove himself all of the time and to show that he’s worthy of it.  Except that his parents never appreciated or recognised the hard work he had put into keeping it running.  The only major ties he had with his parents, was the lump sum of money that went from his bank account to theirs on the first of every month.  That fuelled their lavish lifestyle in one of their many homes around the world.      
  
He unlocked the front door and threw his belongings down onto the floor.  The maid he hired had done a good job on cleaning today and had left him a homemade lasagne in the refrigerator.  Loretta was worth her weight in gold.  
  
A tabby cat greeted her owner and rubbed up against his leg affectionately.  He bent down to smooth her as she purred louder.  
  
“I’m glad someone’s missed me Lucy” Jensen said as he scratched behind her ear.  She had won him over when she turned up on his doorstep a year ago, looking dishevelled and worse for wear.  After some tender loving care, he had managed to nurse her back to health and she had loyally stayed around.  
  
He picked her up and she settled into the safety of his arms and closed her eyes. There was nothing for Jensen to do but to go upstairs to his big, empty queen size bed and watch whatever trash was on his 60 inch plasma TV.  What was the point of living the life of luxury if you had no-one to spend it with?

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-  
  
Jared had survived his first week.  Just about.  Jensen’s requests had gotten more and more unreasonable every day, but somehow he had managed to fulfill them all-mostly by pure luck.  He stood in the communal communal lounge and poured himself a strong mug of coffee.  He knew it was a bad idea letting Chloe take him out on a Sunday night. “It’ll only be for a couple of hours” she had promised.   
  
Except it wasn’t and he had lost count on how many glasses of wine he had.  He picked up his cell and composed a text message.   
  
Chlo. I actually think that I’m going to die and my day hasn’t even begun yet. Enjoy your lie-in today whilst I suffer from my worst hangover in months and run around after Sir Ackles!! I hope that I’ve woken you up with my text. Would serve you right. x  
  
“Morning! Still with us then?” Brad asked Jared rather overly keen and far too loud and cheery for the early hour of the day.  
  
“Yeah.  I’m still here.  Just about” Jared muttered the last bit under his breath as he closed his eyes for a second and rubbed at his temples to try and ease his pounding headache.  
  
The man that he had met days earlier-Tom, walked into the communal lounge and poured coffee into a clean mug. “Just to give you all the heads up guys” he said as he looked around the corner to make sure he wasn’t going to be heard, “Mr Ackles is on the war path today.  He’s got some big corporate thing coming up and if he blows it, he’s going to lose big bucks.  So no-one do anything to piss him off”.  
  
“That’s my head on the chopping block then” Jared said glumly as he topped up his coffee and added a couple of teaspoons of sugar for good luck.  
  
Mike, who he had met on his second day spoke up. “Hey, what happened to staying positive? I’m rooting for you! You’ve been my favourite so far” he commended with a gentle nudge on the arm.   
  
Jared tried to see the funny side.  But until the aspirin he had taken kicks in, there was no chance. “My positivity? Oh that disappeared on my third day when I had to try and find a place that did a non-wheat, non-gluten, non-dairy, caramel and pecan muffin with 10 minutes notice for some big executive that was visiting.  Not my fault that jackass has allergies”.  
  
“Please tell me your kidding?” Mike said as he snorted his coffee.  
  
Jared shook his head. “Seriously, I wish I was”.  He looked at his watch which showed him that he had better get a move on up to his boss’s office for today’s briefing hoping that somewhere on the agenda would be lying in a nice, dark room for a while to get rid of his headache.  Something told him that his headache was only going to increase tenfold.  
  
Tom rolled his eyes. “What, so there’s someone who’s actually more of a stuck up prick than our very own Sir Ackles?”.  
  
“I better get going then” Jared said sulkily as he cradled his mug of steaming coffee in his hands. “This gets better, right? I mean you guys are doing alright for yourselves.  If you weren‘t then you would have left years ago”.  
  
Brad smiled sympathetically. “Kid, if I’m honest, the only reason why I’m sticking around is that I’ve got a wife and kids and a mortgage to pay and I can’t afford to leave and start over somewhere else”.  
  
Jared’s face fell. “Great” he said as he trudged out of the communal lounge and headed for the lion’s cage, hoping that the animal wasn’t too hungry.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
Jared was stood outside the door to Jensen’s office.  He was about to open it when it flew open and Lisa the events co-ordinator stormed out upset and crying her eyes out.  He smiled apologetically at her.  
  
Lisa sniffed and wiped her eyes. “That’s the last time I try and help you out you ungrateful bastard” she shouted back.  
  
Jensen’s face was like thunder as he followed her out into the corridor. “Yeah well in that case let me do you a favour and fire your arse then!” he bellowed back.  
  
After inhaling deeply and composing herself, Lisa stood up as tall as she could and smirked. “Don’t bother, I quit.  I’m sure I can find another company that would be more than delighted with my services” she said as she stormed off down the corridor.  
  
Jared just stood frozen to the spot, not knowing whether to say anything, walk away or enter the office.  
  
Jensen huffed and straightened out his tie to try and regain some of his pride again. He then realised that his assistant was stood right next to him. “That better be my morning coffee and blueberry muffin, because I am not in the mood.  That woman has just cost me big time” he said pacing back and forth.  
  
“Blueberry muffin?” Jared asked, hoping that he had misheard.  
  
“That’s what I said” Jensen said bitterly as he finally sat back down behind his desk.  
  
Jared looked into the paper bag and frowned at the chocolate chip muffin. “I….I’m sorry….I thought that you wanted chocolate…..”.  
  
Pursing his lips together, Jensen tried to stay as calm as he could. “Not on a Monday.  Tuesday’s are chocolate muffins”.  
  
“Sorry sir, I mean Mr.Ackles.  I’ll run back out and get you the correct one, just give me 5 minutes….” Jared stuttered.  
  
“No! It’s fine.  Just tell me that you’ve at least not managed to screw up my coffee” Jensen said as he glanced at his watch.  
  
Jared quickly took the coffee cup from the paper bag and put it down on the desk. “Is there anything else that you need me to do for you?” he asked cautiously.  
  
Jensen put his head in his hands. “I was meant to have several clients lined up for today, but thanks to the incompetency of my staff, that’s not going to happen now.  You couldn’t even get me the correct muffin so you’re just as bad as the rest of them. So no.  Can I trust you to ask Brad to get in touch with Marie seeing as I’m now without an events co-ordinator and I need the conference room ready for the pitch in the morning”.  
  
“Marie? She rang in sick this morning” Jared said, remembering the message he had taken 10 minutes ago and flinching in preparation for the outburst.  
  
Jensen’s face was toxic.  He dug his fingers into his paperweight and then slammed it down onto his desk. “God dammit! What excuse did she give this time?” he grilled his assistant. “PMT again? Or that her damn kids are sick!?”.  
  
“I…uh….I didn’t ask…sorry…” Jared apologised. His head was pounding and his mouth was bone dry.  He didn’t know if it was his hangover kicking up a notch or due to his interrogation.  Either way his mind was foggy and he felt like utter crap.  
  
“Why do I bother to employ people if I have to end up doing things myself” Jensen said angrily as he ground his back teeth together.  
  
“I could get the conference room all set up ready for you by tomorrow” Jared said suddenly. “Just tell me what to do..“. His brain was lagging behind his mouth and he had spoken before he had a chance to think about what he said. He cursed himself for setting himself up for failure and being dismissed like all of his other predecessors.  
  
Jensen looked curiously at his new assistant. “First of all, you mess up my breakfast order, then you can’t do something as simple as to enquire why one of my employers isn’t coming in today and you want me to let you be in charge of something as big as this?”.  He laughed mockingly. “Get real!”.  
  
Jared’s mouth betrayed him again. “Well I deserve at least a chance to prove myself. If you had bothered to read my résumé then you would see that I’ve got some experience in events co-ordination”.  
  
The corners of Jensen’s mouth curled up menacingly.  He was not used to been spoken to like this. “I’ve think that you’ve said enough.  Get the hell out of my office.  And you better make sure that the room is done by 8am sharp tomorrow morning.  If that means you have to work through the night then so be it.  The brief will be on Lisa’s desk. Please shut the door on your way out” he said as he looked down and started to type away frantically on his laptop indicating that he was finished with the conversation.  
  
Jared just nodded and backed away out of the office and carefully closed the door behind him.  He felt both elated that he was being given a chance but also nervous that if he messed up then things would end very badly indeed for him.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*   
  
Jensen was busy looking through the accounts, trying to calculate the profit from this month and to find out why it had dropped 1.3%.  It was an insignificant figure, but to him, it was unacceptable.   
  
His cell phone started to ring.  He frowned when he saw the caller display.  He clicked the reject button on his Bluetooth headset and continued to trawl through the outgoings.  
  
The phone on his desk started to ring.  He let it ring until the answer phone cut in.  
  
An angry voice came over the speaker. “Jensen Ross. Pick up the damn phone.  I know that you’re there.  I want to know why the hell the supermarket chain dropped you as their advertisers. Just wait until I tell your mother about this…”.  
  
Not wanting to hear the rest, Jensen grabbed the receiver and picked it up. “What the hell do you want father? I’m trying to revive this company after you let our reputation go down the pan.  But don’t worry I’m still making more than enough to keep you and mom living your life of luxury in wherever the hell you are now. That’s all I’ve got to say to you right now” he said slamming the phone back down before his father had a chance to say anything back.  
  
The young entrepreneur leant back in his chair and took some deep breaths to try and lower his rapid heart rate.  He wondered how much worse this day was going to get.  The phone started to ring again.  
  
“Yes?” he asked Mike Simpson abruptly.  
  
“I couldn’t get them to agree on the price” Mike said on the other end of the phone.  
  
Jensen sighed and rubbed his temples. “Well then you keep on at them until they do.  And don’t ring me back until you’ve got better news for me” he said before hanging up on his employee.  
  
 He put his head in his hands and fought really hard to fight back a rush of tears.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*  
  
  
“What do you mean you’re not going to be home until late” Chloe asked her friend over the phone as she twirled a bit of her hair around her index finger.  
  
Jared could hear the disappointment in his friend’s voice. “I mean that I may not even be home at all.  I’ve got to get this done Chlo, I can’t blow this opportunity.  We’ll go and see the film another night.  I’m sorry”.  
  
Chloe was glad that Jared couldn’t see her pouting. “Fine. You better get a raise or something for helping to bail him out of the shit.  Oh yeah, how’s the hangover now? I slept lovely until lunchtime” she teased.  
  
 “I think I’ve skipped past tired and feeling like crap and reached the zombie stage.  That’s the last time I let you take me out on a week night”.  
  
“I thought I was doing you a favour.  I was hoping to get you hooked up with some dashing bloke.  You need to get back in the game after biker dude left you” Chloe said diplomatically.  
  
“Patrick.  His name was Patrick” Jared said tiredly.  
  
“Well, whatever.  He was a right loser, I never liked him anyway.  Never mind, I’ll work on it” the ditzy blond promised.  
  
Jared rolled his eyes.  When his best friend had her heart set on something, she always saw it through until the end. “Yeah, I know, that’s the problem.  I’m enjoying my freedom right now.  I want to forget about men for a while and concentrate on getting my career off the ground”.  
  
“In being a personal slave?” Chloe joked.  
  
“Chloe I really do love you, but I’ve got to go” Jared said as he checked his watch.  He never thought that he’d be so dependent on it. Time was slowly becoming his worst enemy. “Wait…..what colour is teal?” he said as he studied the brief in front of him.  
  
“It’s like a blue-turquoise colour Jay” she sang back confidently.  Of course she knew, it was her favourite colour.  She had always been into fashion and had a keen interest in it.  
  
“Shit” Jared said as he hung up the phone. He was going to be here for longer than he thought.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
  
Jensen loosened his tie and undid the top button on his shirt. He slid his glass across the bar. “Another one please” he said gesturing to the bartender and slipping him a handful of dollars.  He tapped his fingers on the bar top nervously.  
  
“Mr Ashton?” a voice spoke from behind him.  
  
Blushing at the use of his pseudo name, Jensen turned around and smiled. “Yes?”.  
  
The man ran his finger up the length of Jensen’s arm.  It then moved across onto his chest seductively. “Are you ready? I’m on a bit of a tight schedule here”.  
  
Jensen studied the man intensely.  He was slender and toned in all the right places.  His tanned skin was dotted with freckles. His only downfall was that he was a little short and he had blond hair which wasn’t a preference of his. But it was only sex.  Meaningless sex with yet another stranger that he’d paid upfront for. Downing his fifth glass of whiskey, he smiled. “I’m ready”.  
  
The blond man held out his hand, which the young executive took with enthusiasm as he was led into a room in the back.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
Jared was just finishing putting the final touches to the room ready for the presentation.  He had pretty much stayed up the whole night.  He allowed himself a few hours sleep in the uncomfortable arm chair in the communal lounge.  That was easier said than done given his height.  
  
Brad walked into the room and beamed with delight. “Wow, did you really do all of this yourself man? It looks great” he said enthusiastically. He scanned over the snap cards in his hands in preparation for his contribution to the pitch. “But you look like crap and I’m sure that you’re wearing the same suit as yesterday but a little more creased”.  
  
“That’s because I am wearing the same suit as yesterday.  I slept here last night and haven’t had the time to go home and change.  Have you any idea how long it takes to glue hundreds of crystals onto a teal sheet of material and arrange them in concentric circles?” Jared said wearily.  
  
Brad chuckled to himself. “Dude, it sucks to be you right now. Oh crap, heads up Jayman, here comes the boss and he looks even worse for wear than you”.  
  
Jared had all of five seconds to try and make himself as presentable as possible before his boss trudged into the room. He watched nervously as the executive started to walk around the room silently, taking in everything.  Biting down on his lower lip he felt himself come out in a cold sweat.  This was it; make or break.  
  
Jensen scratched his chin. “It’ll do I suppose” he said addressing his assistant. “A team of potential clients will be here in 15 minutes.  You look like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards so I suggest you make yourself scarce once you’ve sorted out tea, coffee and biscuits for 20 people” he said before turning to Brad to discuss how they were going to gain the interest of the prospective clients.  
  
Jared should have screamed, shouted and punched the ungrateful prick right in his perfectly groomed face.  But instead, he slunk out of the room silently to carry out another thankless task.  16 hours of hard work for nothing.  Not even a ‘thank you’.  
  
He didn’t know why he had even expected one.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
  
Chloe nearly choked on her swig of beer as she handed a bottle to her best friend. “He said what?”.  
  
“It’ll do…..and then he sent me off to make hot beverages but not before looking at me like a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe” Jared said as he popped the cap off his beer.  
  
“I’m in half a mind to go down there and kick his corporate million dollar arse!” Chloe said animatedly. “You should quit.  You’ve absolutely got to.  I know his company is the best in the business and that this is your best shot, but there’s other ways and other avenues you can go down to get where you want to be, it‘s not your only shot”.  
  
Jared hesitated and leant forward to scoop up some cheesecake with his fork. Having a room-mate whose perks of the job included taking home any leftovers from the restaurant was definitely a bonus, especially as money was tight. “Quitting is only going to make myself look bad and will reduce my chances of getting another job in the industry.  I’ve got to ride it out and just brave the storm.  I just need to learn how to be more assertive.  Maybe you could teach me?”.  
  
Chloe nudged her friend. “What are you trying to say?”.  
  
“It’s a compliment.  I mean that you don’t take any crap from anyone” Jared yawned.  
  
“Well, first of all, you need an early night mister so get yourself to bed” the blond woman told him sternly.   
  
“That sounds like a plan” Jared said as he stood up and stretched his arms out and yawned again.  
  
“But he is right about one thing though- you do look like crap and in need of a rest and a shower!” Chloe joked.  
  
Jared gave his friend a playful punch to her arm. “Hey! Are you taking his side now then? You’re meant to be on my side, Chlo!”.  
  
Chloe leant over and laid her head on her best-friend’s shoulder. “You know that I’m always on your side Jay, I’ve got your back”.  
  
Patting the petite blonds’ head affectionately he yawned again. “I know you do.  That’s why I love you.  How about this weekend we go and hit the town and see if we can find ourselves some decent men- but on a Friday night this time, not the Sunday.  I don’t think I can cope with another hangover like that in work again!”.  
  
Chloe giggled mischievously and nodded her head in agreement. “Sure.  But you’ve got to come shopping with me to choose a new outfit, deal?” she said holding our her hand.  
  
Jared shook the outstretched hand and pulled his room-mate into a tight bear hug. “Deal.  Anyway-I‘m beat. I’ll go and take that shower and well deserved rest now, I‘ll see you in the morning” he said getting up from the couch.  He looked at the dirty plates and the pile of empty beer bottles. “I’ll give you a hand to tidy those up first, I don‘t like leaving that mess overnight” he stalled.  
  
“I’ll sort them out. Just go before I drag you kicking and screaming” Chloe joked. “Seriously Jay!”.  
  
Jared held up his hands in defence. “I know you would.  That’s why I’m going.  Good night” he said before disappearing into his bedroom.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
  
“What the hell is this?” Jensen spat angrily as he read through the proposal. “Why would you bring me crap like this? This is garbage! Get out and go and start again.  Don’t come back until you’ve actually got something that I can use.  Don’t waste my time like this again.  What the hell am I paying you for?”.  
  
The junior advertiser lowered his shoulders and slunk out of the office as he passed Jared in the doorway.   
  
Jensen slammed his fist down onto the table in annoyance.  He wondered why he wasted his time and money in employing staff who were clearly not up to the job.  He threw the proposal down on the floor, which caused the pieces of cardboard to scatter and separate.   
  
Jared’s timing was impeccable as always as he was again going to catch the tail end of his boss’s foul mood. He bent down to pick up the sketches and drawing board. He studied the proposal that the junior advertiser had devised. “Actually I think that it has potential”.  
  
Blinking incomprehensively, Jensen looked up from his desk. “What?” he asked irritably, his eyes narrowing.  
  
His chat with his best friend last night had spurred him on.  Jared felt a surge of confidence. “I mean the idea and the backbone is there, it just needs a bit more spark”.  
  
Jensen looked inquisitively at his assistant.  He sat up in his high topped leather chair and swung it round as he clasped his hands together. “Go on……” he encouraged curiously.  
    
“Well, changing the colour scheme for one.  I mean it’s all wrong.  It needs to be more easy on the eye but also stand out.  And the punch line needs to be sharper and more witty but straight to the point.  After all-time is money, right?”.  
  
“It’s Jared, right?” the executive said as he spoke to his assistant.  
  
“Yeah” Jared answered, trying to stop his voice from wobbling as he spoke, shocked that his boss had actually got his name right.  His first instinct was that he was in trouble for essentially speaking out of turn and inappropriately.  He really needed to program his brain to think before he spoke.  
  
“I’m giving you until the end of today, 5pm sharp to see what you can come up.  If by some miracle you’re able to save this piece of shit then you can assist me in the pitch tomorrow morning for the electricity company” Jensen said as he stood up to speak on the same level as his employee.  
  
Jared opened and closed his mouth in rapid succession.  He was sure that he had mis-heard, but pressed on nonetheless. “You’re giving me a shot here?” he asked excitedly.  
  
Jensen turned his attention to his computer and started to type rapidly on the keyboard. “You’ve got until 5pm, so I suggest that you better get a move on”.  
  
“Thank you” Jared said elatedly.  He picked up the presentation board and hurried out of the office with a mixture of nervousness, anxiety and excitement.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
Jared was stood outside his boss’ office anxiously.  He looked at his watch.  His hand went out to knock on the door but he withdrew it back quickly.  Sighing, his eyes were drawn down to the board that he had worked so hard and meticulously on over the last few hours.  He had arranged, rearranged, scrapped and started from scratch all of the elements on the board.  He still wasn’t entirely happy with the finished product but it was now 4.58pm by his watch which he had now coincided to run the exact same time as Mr. Ackles.  
  
He knew his boss well enough by now to know that when he said by 5pm he meant it. 5.01pm would mean that he’d blown this golden opportunity. After battling with his thoughts, another precious minute had passed.  At 4.59pm, his hand went up to the door again and he tapped lightly at first, and then more forcefully. His ear was up against the door listening out for any sound that would indicate he could open the door.  
  
After what felt like an indeterminate amount of time had elapsed, a gruff bored voice from the other side of the door muttered something. “Come in”.  
  
Jared inhaled deeply and pushed the door open.  Jensen was sat in his familiar place behind his desk.  He folded his arms across his chest and looked up as he addressed his apprehensive young assistant. “Yes?”.  
  
Almost in a child-like manner, the assistant held out the board to his waiting boss.  
  
“Put it up on the stand then so I can see it properly” Jensen instructed as he signalled to the display stand in the corner of his office.  
  
Walking over to it and placing his well thought out presentation board onto the stand, Jared then stepped back and tried to smile forcefully, but it came out like a grimace as he awaited his fate.  
  
Jensen looked at the board curiously, whilst the younger man watched his facial expressions for any sign of what he thought.  His initial reaction so far hadn’t been to throw it to the floor, so maybe, just maybe, there was a glimmer of hope.    
  
The executive got up from his chair so that he could look at the board more closely. “So, tell me what was your train of thought on this then?”.  
  
Jared’s mouth was agape for a second. Did that mean that he liked it, or that he didn’t? He was a difficult man to read. “Uh…well, firstly, I changed the colour scheme, because the writing just didn’t stand out very well before.  And I changed the font because the curly bits at the end just detracted from the message that we’re trying to convey here”.  He stopped to look at his boss for any clues as to how he was doing so far.  Expect that he showed no emotion and didn’t give anything away.  
  
“And?” Jensen prompted his assistant to continue, his stern face was still emotionless.  
  
Clearing his throat, Jared carried on.  He walked closer to the board and his boss and continued more enthusiastically and animatedly as he pointed things out with his pen. “The message that we need to get across here, needed to be more relevant and on a more personal level.  So I’ve done a play on words here, but without trying to be too clever.  I’ve written down some more ideas if you don’t think that this fits properly” he said as he went into his jacket pocket to retrieve his note pad.  
  
Before he could reach for the notebook, his boss cut him short as he shook his head and put his hand up in the air. “I’ve heard enough”.  
  
Jared’s face fell disappointedly.  Another day had been wasted in pointlessly trying to show his boss that he had what it takes.  Maybe he should just go ahead with Chloe’s advice and quit like he had intended to in the first place. He was just prolonging the inevitable. “Oh, okay then”.  
  
“Get a good night’s rest and I want you here by 8am in the morning to help me prepare for the pitch for the advertising campaign board tomorrow afternoon” Jensen said as he started to gather up his belongings and put them carefully away in the correct compartments of his expensive leather briefcase. “But I’m warning you, if we lose this pitch to another company, it’s going to be a massive financial loss to my company not to mention my reputation going down the pan-and then firing you will be on the top of my list, plus I’ll make damn sure that you’ll never work in this industry anywhere else in the world”.  
  
“Thank you. I understand that sir….I mean Mr Ackles.  I will use all of my knowledge and skills to help you clinch this deal.  I know I can do this, thank you for this opportunity” Jared said eternally grateful.  He swallowed down the lump in his throat when he realised that the repercussions could be dire should he fail.  
  
Jensen waved his hands in the air again. “Yeah, yeah, I got that.  Anyway I’ve got to go, I’ve got a conference call to Paris in half an hour.  You’ll need these to help you prepare for the pitch tomorrow” he said gesturing to a lever arch file on his desk that was brimming with paper. “I expect you to have memorised and analysed it all by the morning” he said as he picked up his briefcase.  
  
Jared tried to refrain from smiling.  He was a prolific reader and his last minute revision and photographic memory had earned him graduating one of the top in his class. “Consider it done”.  
  
Before he reached the door, the executive turned back around and confronted his eager young assistant.  He eyed him up and down and frowned at his suit. “Is that the best suit that you own?”.  
  
Looking down at his faded grey suit, Jared shrugged his shoulders.  It was true, it had seen better days and the lengths of the sleeves and pants were slightly too short for his tall frame, but it was the best that he could do. “Uh…..yes, I guess that it is”.  
  
Sighing, Jensen quickly strode back to his desk and scribbled something down on a piece of paper hastily and handed it to the younger man. “This is the address of my tailor.  Get yourself down to his place pronto and he’ll set you up with a suit.  Just tell him to put it on my tab”.  
  
Taking the piece of paper Jared stood rooted to the spot. “Thank you”.  
  
“Don’t thank me.  If you’re going the pitch with me tomorrow I need you in a smart suit, not something that looks like you’ve pulled out of a dumpster” Jensen said as he headed towards the door again. “Don’t forget…..I need my coffee and danish in the morning” he said as he left the office quickly.  
  
“Yeah…I won’t” Jared said as he watched his boss step into the elevator.  Once he watched the doors close he picked up the file from the desk and flicked through some of the pages. “Shit! What the hell have I got myself into. Crap, crap, crap” he said as he gently hit the heavy folder against his head again- and again- and again.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
Jared opened the front door as he tried to balance his work bag, the folder and his new suit with one arm.  As soon as he was through the door, his room-mate had bombarded him.  
  
“Where the hell have you been? We’re meant to be going to the mall, remember?  If we leave now, then we’ve still got an hour before they close” the petite blond said as she grabbed her purse and bag. “Oh and that jerk Patrick has left you a few more messages on the answer phone.  If you like, I’ll put him in his place? Maybe he’s got bored of his new lover and wants you back….dick!”.  
  
“Oh….Chlo….I’m so sorry.  I can’t do anything tonight….there’s something that I’ve got to do.  We’ll do it tomorrow night, I swear” Jared apologised.  He felt really bad that he had to let his friend down again.  He felt a pang of guilt. “I haven’t got time to deal with Patrick right now…he’ll get the hint soon enough, I’m sure.  But right now, I need to focus on this” he said, gesturing to the stack of folders.  
  
Chloe folded her arms across her chest and pouted. “What’s the stuck up prick got you doing now? I thought you were going to be more assertive and not let him walk all over you and stand your ground!”.  
  
Jared didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he put down his belongings.  He kept hold of the precious file. “I’ve got to learn all of this by 8am tomorrow!”.  
  
“No way.  Absolutely not.  Ring him up right now and tell him you quit and that he can do it himself the lazy bastard…” Chloe said angrily. “Or I’ll do it for you…who the hell does he think he is.  So what, he’s got his own company….big deal”.  
  
Breaking into a smile, Jared tried to refrain from laughing. “Wait, you don’t understand. I’m helping him give this major pitch tomorrow.  I’ve come up with all of the work.  If I succeed tomorrow Chlo……well who knows.  It’s my big break”.  
  
“Oh my God! That’s brilliant” the blond shouted as she started screaming. “I knew that you could do it”.  
  
Jared’s face turned serious as he flopped down onto the couch. “But if I screw this up…it’s over. He going to blacklist me from any future employees”.  
  
“He can’t do that.  It’s not allowed” Chloe said shaking her head.  
  
“Oh he can and he will.  That’s why I’ve got to do this.  I’m going to stock up on caffeine, get my head down and nail this.  So, rain check on the mall? Until tomorrow and then we’re going to find you a killer dress and some new heels, okay? Maybe a new bag too”.  
  
“Okay.  But I’m still not too happy about you half-killing yourself over this whilst Mr.Ackles is probably swanning around right now with his rich friends showing off his gold digger wife and snooty kids!” Chloe said as he she felt remorse for her best friends’ predicament.  
  
Jared scoffed back. “I don’t know about that.  He just doesn’t seem like your typical family-guy.  Besides, do you really think that anyone would want to be with him, let alone be married to him! God, can you imagine it?”.  
  
Chloe laughed. “Yeah true.  He probably still lives with his parents.  His mother is probably tucking him into his cage right about now”.  
  
“You’re mean, really mean.  But I can totally picture that image in my head” Jared agreed as he tried to visualise the scenario. His attention was drawn back to the file that was weighing down on his lap. “Back to reality then.  I better get cracking on this”.  
  
“Is there anything I can do to help babe?” Chloe asked, eager to try and ease her room-mates’ burden.  
  
Jared opened up the first page as he started to scan down the writing. “Get the caffeine flowing? You can make it so much better than I can” he asked.  
  
Chloe moved to get up off the couch. “Well I should hope so too, that’s what I get paid to do for 9 hours a day!”.  Her eyes landed on the black cover that was concealing the new suit. “What’s this?”.  
  
“Oh yeah, apparently my supermarket bought suits aren’t good enough for this presentation tomorrow so I was summoned to see his tailor” Jared answered. “That’s why I was late”.  
  
Unzipping the cover, the blond gasped as she ran her hands over the silky material of the black suit jacket. “Armani? Jeez, how much did that set you back? That’s more than my monthly salary Jay!”.  
  
“That was courteousy from Mr. Ackles himself.  Seeing as he was paying, I got the most expensive one there.  And of course I got new shoes too as well as an assortment of ties and shirts in various colours.  Besides, he’s in charge of a multi-million dollar company, do you really think that he’s going to miss a few thousand dollars!” Jared pointed out amusedly.  
  
“Ooooh I like it.  Very clever.  This suit is amazing.  You’re going to look hot in this tomorrow.  You’re going to kick-ass!” Chloe praised.  
  
Jared shook his head as he turned over the next page. “I’m not if I don’t get through this.  Now go away and make me my coffee, kind waitress” he said light-heartedly.  
  
Chloe laughed and gently wrapped her hands around her best-friend’s neck, mocking strangling and then releasing him. “Coming right up kind sir, but if you’re not careful I’ll spit in your coffee”.  
  
“You wouldn’t dare!” Jared warned. “I’m watching you!”.  
  
“No you’re not” the blond said as she headed into the kitchen area. “You’re meant to be studying, so get to it!”.  
  
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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-  
  
Jensen was sat in the corner of his usual exclusive club sipping his favourite brand of whiskey.  He pulled out his Blackberry and began to stroll through his emails as he kept half an eye on the men that were dancing provocatively around him, trying to seduce him and make him part with some money.  
  
His conference call was stressful and he was glad that it was over and done with.  He had managed to secure some more deals for the company.  Once he was done with his emails, he strolled through his list of missed calls and voicemail messages.  Most of them were from his parents giving him un-welcomed advice.  
  
Taking out his frustration, he shoved his cell phone back into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.  Raising his hand, he signalled to the waiter for a top-up and deposited more money into his hand in exchange for whiskey.  He signalled his gratitude by subtly nodding his head.  
  
The nervous energy that was churning around in his stomach in thought of the pitch in the morning and the fact that he had practically put all of his faith into an overly-keen young man that he employed only a little over a week ago made him nauseatingly nervous.  That’s why, tonight, he was treating himself.  He looked at his watch and tapped his foot to the beat of the cheesy Caberet number that was playing out over the loud speakers.  He didn’t notice the tall brunette until he slid in next to him on the bench behind the table and put his hand on his thigh.  
  
Jensen felt a tad uneasy at the stranger’s touch, but willed himself to relax.  
  
“It’s okay” the brunette said, initiating conversation between them. “I’m here to make you relax and give you a good time”.  
  
“Yeah. Thank you. I’ll order us a round of drinks and then we’ll head off” the executive said shyly as he summoned the waiter once again.  
  
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Jared had been awake most of the night either worrying and fretting about the pitch, or looking through the folder of documents trying to cram in more information into his already full head.  He had done endless calculations working out the prospective company’s profit margins and the gross and net income for both parties involved.    
  
He was sat in the communal lounge drinking his third cup of liquid caffeine this morning already.  It was coming up to 8am so he got to his feet and tipped the rest of his half-drank coffee into the sink.  He took a moment to adjust his tie in the mirror and try to tame his hair down as best as he could. He had sacrificed the shower for an extra 20 minutes sleep. As nice as the new suit was, it just wasn’t him, and he felt self-conscious and over dressed.  The whole new attire cost more than he had earned in the last year.  All the morals his parents had taught him about the value of money- it just didn’t feel right.  
  
With the executive’s danish and coffee in one hand, and the bulky folder in the other, the young assistant began his ascent up to the office and tapped lightly on the door. He knew that his boss would be under a lot of stress and pressure this morning so he wanted to air on the side of caution.  A part of him was telling him that maybe this was too good to be true and that his boss had changed his mind.  In his frame of mind right now, he would be more than likely to tell him to stuff the job after all the hard work he’d done on the pitch.  
  
“Yeah…” came the simple, unequivocal reply from the executive.  
  
Jared opened the door carefully and walked precariously towards his boss, handing over his morning beverage and snack firstly as a peace offering.  He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he was too nervous to even form a word in his mind, let alone voice it, so he just stood there awkwardly, fidgeting with his new suit.  
  
Jensen took the coffee and slurped it straight away, before putting it down on his desk.  He looked at his assistant with suspicious, curious eyes. “Are you all prepared? Run me through what you’re going to say……like I said, you’re not going to screw this up for me…..”.  
  
It took the young assistant a few moments to register before he sprang into action, his pent up anxiety suddenly releasing itself like a coiled spring.  He opened up the folder and removed a few sheets of neatly typed out notes with graphs and diagrams and handed them over. He‘d taken the liberty of using the communal lounge printer to print them out.  There was no way he was going to waste his own precious ink.  “Here you are…..the presentation boards are already downstairs in the board room if you want to check them first”.  
  
The executive bit his tongue and took the stack of notes, his eyes quickly, scanning them meticulously. “Well it’s the only thing that we’ve got, so we’ve got to go with it. Just pray that it’s going to work because your ass is toast otherwise!” he said as he pointed an accusatory finger at the younger man.  
  
Jared ran his hand nervously down the back of his neck. Yep, he knew that all right, did he have to keep on rubbing it in? Dismissing any negativity, he soldiered on. “That’s all I can assure you is that I’ve worked really hard on this and used the best of my knowledge and skills.  It‘s not my intention to fail you”.  
  
Jensen sighed heavily and studied his assistant with curious eyes.  It was daunting having to rely on someone that he barely knew.  He was so used to doing things himself, that way he never got let down.  And that was pretty much his life summed up.  One big let down, being failed by other people.  People that supposedly loved him. Reaching out for his danish, he took a mouthful of the sweet pastry and washed it down with some more coffee. He threw down the folder on his desk, sending some of the pieces of paper flying to the floor.  “Let’s go.  They’ll be here in a couple of hours” he said as he edged towards the door stiffly. “Get those will you?” he said indicating to the mess he’d made.  
  
When his boss was clear through the door, Jared scoffed loudly and shook his head in exasperation at the rudeness he’d just encountered. “Friggin’ jackass” he muttered under his breath as he gathered up the scattered papers that he had put in order.  Suddenly remembering that he hadn’t silenced his cell phone he grabbed it from his pocket.  A text message flashed up on it.  His finger pressed the delete button as soon as he saw who it was from and switched it off.  There was no way he was giving that cheating, lying bastard of an ex-boyfriend one more second of his time.    
  
Patrick had been his partner for nearly 3 years.  It was his first real love whom he had met during collage.  Up until 6 months ago, when his boyfriend had confessed a year long affair with another man and had walked out on him.  Now, it appeared, if the text messages were anything to go by, he was sorry and wanted Jared back.  
  
“Jared?!” the executive shouted from the corridor, breaking the young assistant from his procrastination.  
  
“On my way!” Jared shouted back as he quickly thrust his cell back into his pocket and shuffled through the documents to restore some sort of order to them and hot footed it out the door to meet his boss and his impending fate.  
  
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Jared had pitched his ass off, quite literally.  The sweat was pooling in his expensive dry-clean only suit.  He had gone through every graph, chart and document in his possession under the scrutiny of his boss who added his own comments in between his own.  
  
The panel of prospective clients; three men and a women were every bit as pretentious and ostentatious as they had anticipated. They were picky and demanding and asked awkward questions, putting the executive and his assistant on the spot. Jared had handled them surprisingly well and seemed to placate and satisfy them with his answers.  
  
Their time to impress ran out and the pitch ended with Jared’s conclusion of their mutual profits and the reasons why they should go with Ackles’ Advertising.  
  
Jensen had to admit, that his assistant had handled the pitch with professionalism and such ease.  He watched with admiration as Jared politely shook hands with the members of the panel and muttered his thanks, when they had complimented him on the standard of the presentation.  
  
“Mr Ackles?” one of the burly looking men on the panel asked as he then approached the executive.  
  
Tearing his eyes away from his assistant, who was now tidying up efficiently, he turned his attention to the man in front of him, painting one of his false smiles on his face.  A fake smile that was used rarely and only for potential clients. “Yes sir” he answered as he shook the man’s hand.  
  
“What a great pitch.  Your assistant is a real asset to your company, he’s got a bright future ahead of him and full of promise, you must be really proud.  Make sure you keep hold of him…” the company owner told Jensen.  
  
“Yeah, uh…..thank you” Jensen muttered, lost for words at the praise. “So, did we get it?” he asked.  That was the only thing that mattered.  Winning or losing.  And losing wasn’t an option he was willing to go through.  
  
“Well, you’re certainly the best we’ve seen so far.  But we’ve still got another few pitches to go to before we make our decision.  We’ll be in touch”.  
  
Jensen exhaled heavily as he watched the panel chit chat amongst themselves and leave.  
  
Jared loosened his tie whilst he reflected on his presentation.  He was proud at how he did and he was almost sure that his boss was giving him nods of approval at specific points.  Sure it was tough, some of the questions were really, really tough, but he had handled it well he thought.  “Well they told me ‘well done’ and said that they liked it…so….yeah, I thought that it went well..”.  
  
“Don’t get too cocky” Jensen snapped back. “They’ve not reached a decision yet!”.  
  
Jared’s face fell and his relief and happiness was short lived.  He had this in the bag, he was sure of it and the ungrateful prick couldn’t even say thank you. “But….”.  
  
“Just get this place tidied and then come up to my office, I’ve got a list of errands for you to do” Jensen said distractedly as he surveyed the mess around him; papers strewn everyone, empty coffee mugs, biscuit crumbs everywhere. “Oh and I’m going to need another coffee too” he said as he slowly strode over to the door. “You might have to stock up too we’re all out…”.  
  
“Okay Mr. Ackles” the assistant replied monotonously, reverting back to the dutiful little servant that he was used to been treated like.  His moment of glory was over and now he felt stupid for feeling proud of his hard work. Remorsefully he started to pack away the meticulously prepared documents he’d worked all night on, putting them in his briefcase.  His parents had bought him this briefcase when he started collage, and although it was now starting to look shabby he wouldn’t replace it for the world. When he announced to his parents that he got this job, they had been so proud of their son, he didn’t have the heart to tell them exactly how he was being treated and hadn’t been all that truthful about his job description.  Somewhere, deep down, he was still clinging on to the hope that he would finally have a breakthrough with his difficult boss and finally be acknowledged fairly.  
  
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$  
  
“Chloe?” Jared shouted as soon as he soon as he opened the door to their apartment.    
  
Chloe slunk into the lounge from her bedroom.  She had just got changed into one of Jared’s old collage t-shirts and some sweats after a long shift at the restaurant. “What’s up?”.  
  
Jared threw down his work stuff and started undressing himself hastily. “We’re going out. I need some serious liquor, like right now!”  
  
“But I’ve just got into my sweats” the blonde said as she examined her attire. “Oh…crap, the pitch, how did it go?” she asked her best friend as she tried to decipher his body language.  
  
“Well it went well.  The clients congratulated me on a great presentation. But then Sir Ackles opened his mouth.  Told me not to get cocky until they reached a decision. Would it seriously kill him to say thank you for once in his life.” Jared rambled on.  He held up two shirts. “Blue or red?”.  
  
“Uh…definitely the blue Jay” Chloe stated. “It goes awesome with your faded blue jeans. “So he was a jackass as usual then?”.  
  
Jared removed his pristine laundered shirt and threw it on the bed as he reached for some deodorant which he sprayed liberally on himself before putting on the blue shirt. “Yep, which is why we’re going out and getting wasted and pulling ourselves some gorgeous men”.  He realised that his friend was still in her sweats. “Is that what you’re going to wear? I don’t think they’ll let you in the club wearing that?”.  
  
Chloe folded her arms across her chest. “What about your rule about never going out on a work night ever again?”.  
  
“Yeah, well stuff that.  I don’t care anymore, that jerk can shove it up his own arse.  I need to have some fun, are you coming with me?” Jared said as he headed into the bathroom to dab some aftershave on his face even though he hadn’t shaved in over a day and was already starting to grow some stubble.  
  
“Well I’m certainly not letting you go out by yourself” Chloe replied as she rummaged through her own wardrobe. “You’re lucky I haven’t taken my make-up off yet and that I just need to top up.  
  
Jared strolled into his flat-mate’s bedroom and picked out a knee length red dress, with a scoop front to it. “This is your best pulling outfit Chlo.  It’s sexy, flirty, a little bit cheeky but not too slutty.  And your makeup looks fine.  Just put a bit of red lipstick on and some killer heels and your good to go.  Shall I order a cab for us for 20 minutes?” he asked enthusiastically. “I’ll just heat up some pizza for us, something to line our stomach’s with before the wine and liquor we’re going to be consuming”.  
  
Chloe smiled at her friend’s new change of heart.  It was nice to see him happy, at least for a minute. “Sounds great to me” the blond said as she closed her bedroom door and began to undress.  
  
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The best friends had headed down to the Castro and found themselves in one of the nightclubs, partying and consuming copious amounts of alcohol between them.  
  
A tall, slender man walked past them and smiled.  
  
“Okay, how about him….” Chloe shouted to her friend over the loud music. “Gay or straight.  I’m pretty sure he just smiled at me….I wouldn’t say no, look at him, he obviously works out…”.  
  
Jared shook his head and took a sip from his glass of wine. “No, that smile was definitely for me”.  
  
The music changed and everyone started cheering as the new song came on.  
  
Chloe screamed and grabbed Jared’s arm. “Oh my God Jay, I love this song, come on let’s dance!”.  
  
“Chlo” Jared protested, feeling himself blush.  He’d usually need a few more to drink before he hit the dance floor, but tonight he wanted to be carefree and enjoy himself so he let the ditzy blond lead him right to the centre of the dance floor.  He started relax and threw his hands up in the air, following the crowd of people around him, people bumping and grinding next to him and up against him.  
  
The blond, kind of went off in her own little world and mingled in with the crowd dancing with anyone and everybody.  
  
Jared laughed at his friend and smiled.  She was always the one who had been there for him and always made him laugh.  He loved her zest for life and her confidence and the way that other people loved her.  It made him chuckle again when she was lifted up in the air by two men and a woman.  She started shouting over to him helplessly, and he just shrugged his shoulders amusedly in return when someone pressed up against him.  The contact didn’t subside and he felt an arm around his shoulder. Finally his perseverance had worked and he had pulled, but then he seemed to recognise the arm around him.  There was a certain familiarity about it, and the way the other arm was touching him in all the right places.  He was almost sure that he recognised the smell of aftershave.  He spun around on his heels, so he was face to face and pressed into the other man.  The man that had broken his heart and still continued to do so by pestering him with text messages, and voicemails. “Patrick”.  
  
“Hey!” Patrick smiled back.  His hands moved lower around Jared’s hips and pulled them even closer together. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, tucked into some leather pants and his biker boots.  His dirty blond hair had kept it’s length but had been trimmed and tidied up.  
  
Damn.  Despite what had happened between them, Jared’s heart gave a little flutter at the sight of his ex.  His ex, that was still pressed up against him, looking effortlessly gorgeous and sexy as ever. His brain couldn’t engage fully and make him pull away like he knew he should.  “Get bored of your lover, did you?”.  
  
The biker’s right arm wandered back up and found the newly toned torso of his ex boyfriend.  Licking his lips, he moaned delightfully as he ran his hand up and undid a top button on Jared’s shirt. “Still as sexy as ever, even more so.  You’ve been working out and I like it….”.  
  
Jared closed his eyes as he revelled in the warm touch that he’d missed.  The familiar contact on his skin.  But then he pictured, remembered the harsh words that the man he had loved dearly delivered to him that fateful night. It was like another blow to his chest.  Snapping his eyes open he pushed the man’s exploring hands away from him. “Get off me.  And stay away.  Stop pestering me with phone calls and messages.  I’m not interested, I’ve moved on.  Go back to Chad…”.  
  
“Chase….” Patrick said insistently.  
  
“Yeah, whatever” Jared said as he moved through the crowd, trying to get away.  
  
Patrick grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back towards him. “He left me…a few weeks ago actually….”.  
  
Jared smiled at the new piece of information. Actually full-on smiled at the irony. “Yeah? Karma’s a bitch, right?” he said smugly.  
  
Chloe had seen what was happening and horrified, she pushed her way through the crowd until she was face-to-face with the loser that had caused her best friend so much angst and pain over the last few months. “Hey, biker douche!” she shouted, as she grabbed the blond man’s arm forcefully to get his attention.  
  
The biker looked up and down at the petite blond. “Chloe” he said through gritted teeth.  He had never liked her from day one and he was pretty sure that the feeling was mutual.  Before he knew what had happened, a glass of wine was emptied over his head.  Wiping his eyes and brushing back his wet hair embarrassedly, his lower lip started to quiver in anger at his humiliation.  People were starting to stare at the commotion and public display. “You didn’t just do that….”.  
  
“Oh I did! Now go hop back on your little bike and stay the hell away from my friend you jerk” Chloe shouted through the crowd as more and more people gathered around them to see what was happening.  
  
“Jared?” Patrick tried as he looked to the brunette. “Is that what you want? I still love you, you know?”.  
  
Jared’s residual anger over the man bubbled to the surface and he exploded in a drunken fury. “That’s too bad.  Because I’m over you, well and truly over you.  I’ve moved on, you should do the same.  Now leave me the hell alone, do you understand? Or I’ll have you up for harassment”.  
  
Knowing that he was defeated, the crushed man was trying to regain some of his lost pride so he skulked out of the club, not making eye contact with any of the crowd.  
  
“Mwah!” Jared said as he kissed and hugged his best friend tightly. “You, were awesome.  That was awesome.  I think that’s what they call closure.  Closure with a big, fat capital ‘C’!”.  
  
Chloe smiled happily, and then looked down at her empty glass of wine. “Yeah…but now I need another drink.  I kind of wasted mine by throwing it down the drain…or rather on the drain….”.  
  
“Now that can easily be solved” the tipsy assistant said as he summoned the bartender and laid down a couple of dollars for tip. “A round of shots please.  Wait- no, make that two rounds of shots! We’re kind of celebrating here!”.  
  
“What’s the celebration?” the blond asked her friend as she tried to summon the bartender too who was occupied with another customer.  
  
Jared smirked at the thought. “Major breakthrough in pest control.  I’m ready to move on now, thanks to you” he said putting a strong arm around the blond.  
  
Chloe, despite wearing high heels, was still considerably much shorter than her best mate and had to stand on her toes to reach up to kiss Jared. “No problem Jay”.  Her eyes were drawn to the man they had both been eyeing up earlier.  Making an adjustment to the front of her dress, tugging it down lower, she smacked her lips together and nudged Jared. “Okay, I’m going in to test the water.  If he doesn’t look down at my cleavage, then I’ll send him over to you….”.  
  
“What are you like….” Jared chuckled amusedly to himself as he watched Chloe saunter off towards the man.  Whilst he waited at the bar to be served, he pulled his cell out of his jacket pocket and went into his list of contacts.  Scrolling down, he found Patrick’s number and confidently pressed the delete button. “Bye bye asshole”.  
  
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Jared and Chloe stumbled out of the nightclub a couple of hours later, intoxicated to the hilt.  
  
“Wait, my feet, they’re so sore from all that dancing, lemme just take these darn heels off” Chloe muttered as she stumbled along the sidewalk.  
  
“Chloe, you’re going to glass in your feet if you walk bare foot” Jared said practically.  Through his bleary eyes and the darkness, he looked down at the ground below.  
  
Chloe ignored her friends advice and took off her heels nonetheless. “You’ll have to give me a piggy back then!” she grinned wickedly.  
  
Jared laughed. “Fine! But this piggy is quite drunk right now just to warn you”.  He scooped her up effortlessly onto his back and he staggered along the sidewalk, past all of the other clubs and bar where people were spilling out of. “I can’t believe that guy was straight.  So not fair…”.  
  
“And I’ve got his number and a date from him” Chloe sing-songed as she threw her arms around Jared’s neck, unconsciously aware that her heels were swaying around and hitting him on the face.  
  
When they reached a cross roads, Jared carefully looked both ways before crossing the road.  Straight ahead of him was a well-lit parking lot.  His eyes were drawn to a silver Mercedes Benz car and two smartly dressed men deep in conversation.  One of whom he recognised as his notoriously ill-mannered and bad tempered boss; Mr Jensen Ackles. “Shit!”.  
  
“What’s wrong? Jealous that I was the one that got his number….don’t worry we’ll find someone for you Jay” Chloe chattered away, patting the top of his head, oblivious to what was happening.  
  
Jared stopped walking and shook his head. “No, it’s not that, honestly. I forgive you Chlo.  Over there, across the road.  That’s him, that’s Mr Ackles himself.  What the hell is he doing here at this time of the night?”.  
  
Chloe wriggled around and slid off Jared’s back.  She peered over to the parking lot curiously. “Which one?”.  
  
“The one in the grey tailored suit” Jared said distractedly as he looked over to try and interpret the hand signals and body language of the two men.  
  
Jensen pulled out a wad of money and handed it over to the other man. “There you go, it’s all there, you can count it if you like”.  
  
The shorter man took the money and put it in the inside pocket of his jacket pocket. “It’s okay, I trust you.  So, anyway, here’s my card, if you need me again, just give me a call”.  
  
“Okay, thank you” the executive said awkwardly as he avoided eye contact with the man.  He turned his head away slightly as he was given a kiss on the cheek.  It was something he always requested, a kiss after they were done, to try and make the sex a little more personal and less cheap.  It was a bit of a cliché, but it made him feel special.  After watching the man walk away, he fumbled around in his leather briefcase for his car keys.  
  
“Jay!” Chloe shrieked, you never told me he was absolutely gorgeous.  Asshole or not, he’s hot! And that suit is totally doing it for me….”.  
  
This was the first time that Jared had seen his boss out of work and he was seeing him in an entirely different light.  The glow of the streetlight reflected and danced off his freckles and his hair shone back.  Chloe was right, the suit fitted his sculpted body perfectly well.  He had been so busy hating the man, he had never noticed that he was in fact a very good looking man.  Maybe the alcohol was clouding his judgement tonight. “Yeah…I guess that he is….but what the hell is he doing out here at this time?”.  
  
Chloe scoffed and her facial expressions changed at the realisation. “Isn’t it obvious? That was an escort, a male hooker.  He obviously doesn’t get any so he has to pay for it. And this is the Castro, so that means that he bats on your team Jay. I think the stuck-up wife theory has gone out of the window….unless….unless he’s still in the closet and going behind her back….now that would be a scandal..”.  
  
“Chloe” Jared warned, “You and your silly little ideas….come on, let’s just go home…he’s the last person I want to see right now…let‘s not waste anymore time with him..”.  
  
The petite blond stumbled around as she put her heels back on and started to cross the road, heading towards the parking lot.  
  
Jared grabbed hold of her arm to pull her back. “Where are you going?”.  
  
“I’m on a roll, let’s complete the set shall we? Tell him what an arrogant little man he is!” Chloe said as she brushed her friend off and strode over to the parking lot determinedly and all fired up.   
  
“No, no, no…!” Jared shouted back, panicked.  Before he could change her mind the damage was already done.  
  
“Jackass!” the blond shouted out just as Jensen was about to climb into his car.  
  
The executive stopped in his tracks and stood back up to confront the woman shouting obscenities at him. “Excuse me?”.  
  
“Chloe please don’t do this” Jared said as he ran to catch up with his best friend.  But it was already too late.  His boss had caught sight of him.  
  
Jensen looked from the woman, to the man approaching him.  He recognised him almost instantly as his young assistant.  Shit, how much had he seen of his little business arrangement. “Is she with you?”.  
  
Jared nodded slowly. “Yeah….I’m sorry, she’s drunk….we both are…come on Chlo…”.  
  
Chloe shook her head. “No….I haven’t even gotten started yet” she said turning briefly to her friend, before confronting the executive again. “You’re one ungrateful little dick.  He does everything you ask of him, is practically your servant, cleans up of all your messes, bails you out of the shit, works his ass for nothing, and you treat him like utter crap.  So were not as rich as you, but we’re good, hard working people and don’t deserve to be looked down upon like something dirty you’ve stepped in…”  
  
“Chloe, please, that’s enough” Jared begged pleadingly, almost close to tears as he saw the anger rise in his boss.  
  
Jensen folded his arms across his chest calmly. “Are you done?” he asked the blond.  He tried to hide the infuriation and hurt he was feeling right now.  
  
“Manners don’t cost you anything. A simple ‘well done‘, or even, God forbid, a ‘thank you’ once in a while!” Chloe shouted back in anger.  
  
Shaking his head, Jensen scoffed and threw his briefcase into the passenger seat of his car. “I’m not going to listen to this rubbish anymore.  Control your obnoxious girlfriend will you…”.  
  
“She’s not my girlfriend” Jared said defensively.  
  
“I don’t care just get her out of my sight will you?” the executive said as he slid into the leather front seat of his car.  
  
Cringing, Jared ran his hand nervously over his face. “I’m so sorry Mr Ackles…”.  
  
Jensen slammed the car shut forcefully and started up the ignition before rolling down the electric window. “Go home, sober up and I want to see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning, 8am with my coffee and blueberry muffin….unless that‘s too beneath you?”.  
  
Jared nodded his head to show that he’d heard and understood. “No it‘s not….thank you…I’ll be there 8am sharp…” he said remorsefully as he watched the silver Mercedes pull away from the parking lot at speed. “Shit..”.  
  
Chloe groaned when her brain had caught up with what she’d said and done. “Oh God Jay, I’m so sorry….really sorry”.  She started to sob quietly.  To her surprise, Jared put an arm around her comfortingly.  
  
“It’s okay.  I know you meant well and are only looking out for me. I guess I’ll have to start looking for a new job when he fires me in the morning.  Probably for the best, because let’s face it, I was never going to get anywhere with this job….” Jared said solemnly.  
  
“But I’ve just ruined things for you, made things ten times worse” the blond sobbed into her friend’s blue shirt, splattering it with her salty tears.  
  
Jared sighed. “No, I was screwed from the second I stepped into that building the day of my supposed interview.  Maybe it did him good to hear a few home truths.  And you were, yet again awesome.  I think he was actually scared of you at one point.  You‘ve done me a big favour.  You did what I didn‘t have the balls to do”.  
  
Chloe’s sobbing tapered off and she giggled, nestling her head into the depth of Jared’s chest. “You know I could take you on…”.  
  
“I know” Jared said in a trance. “C’mon, let’s go home shall we?” he said as he waved his arm up and down at a passing cab to hail it down.  
  
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Jared had slept through his first alarm but had woken up groggily to his second alarm which was set as a back-up.  This morning it had paid off- and probably saved his life, because if he was late for work, then he would be a dead man.  It felt like he had only just got to sleep when he woke.  Somehow, he managed to get himself to work via the Coffee Bean to get his boss’ coffee and muffin.  He had held his breath at the smell of coffee, making him feel more queasy.  He couldn‘t quite tell if he was still drunk, or whether his hangover had started to kick in.  In a few hours he’d be relying heavily on coffee, but for now it wasn’t doing anything to help him.  When he reached the communal lounge, a wave of nausea washed over him and the room started to spin.  His long legs propelled him forwards to the sink where he threw up.  Hopefully the aspirin would kick in sometime soon for his bad head.    
  
Vague drunken flashbacks flashed in his mind.  He wasn’t entirely sure what was said last night to his cheating ex boyfriend and his current boss, but he knew that the repercussions would be detrimental.  The former, he wasn’t worried about, but the latter was upstairs awaiting his arrival.  Praying that he was done with being sick, he ventured up to the 12 floor, deciding to omit the elevator in favour for the stairs. After getting his breath back he promptly knocked on the door and waited for the monotonous instruction to enter.  
  
“You’re late” the executive said, not looking up when his assistant entered and put down his drink and beverage on his desk.  
  
Glancing down at his watch slyly, Jared took note of the time. 8:02am. “Sorry” he said as he pressed two fingers against the side of his left temple.     
  
Jensen leant over to take a sip of his coffee.  He screwed his face up when he smelt the stale smell of alcohol waft over to him. “You smell like a brewery.  Get that sorted out, I can’t have you breathing over prospective clients…”.  
  
“About last night…I’m so sorry….when Chloe gets going, she’s…that’s all I can do is apologise, and if you want to fire me, then I completely understand.  I’ll even make it easier for you and just hand in my resignation” the assistant said as he started rambling on, hands moving around restlessly finding something to do. The speak function in his brain had been spontaneously triggered again, before the thinking part of his brain could intervene.  
  
“No…” Jensen said suddenly, in a firm voice, cutting off the younger man. “That won’t be necessary”.  The executive busied his hands by ruffling up the papers on his desk and putting them into disorganised piles. “She was right….but I do…” he whispered, avoiding eye contact.  
  
Jared’s foggy brain couldn’t quite pick up on the speech. “Sorry?”.  
  
Clearing his throat and speaking a little louder, Jensen spoke again, trying not to blush too much. “I do appreciate every thing that you’ve done for me.  I know I don’t show it, but I do” he said, rushing his words to get it over and done with. Painfully he uttered the two words that rarely passed his lips. “Thank you”.  
  
The assistant was sure that his mind was playing tricks on him.  A cruel joke from the effects of last night’s alcohol binge. “Thank you?” he asked incredulously.  
  
Jensen got to his feet whilst his dumbfounded assistant pondered his words.  He opened up the safe in the corner of his office and pulled out a bulging sealed envelope and handed it over to the other man. “This is your bonus.  You deserve it”.  
  
“Wait…you’re not only not firing me, but giving me a bonus too! But Chloe just went on at you and said some really bad things” Jared said babbling on, still in shock and sure that this was all a dream.  But his pounding headache assured him that it was definitely real. His brain finally caught up and told him to stop talking.  
  
“We won the pitch.  I had the phone call about 20 minutes ago” the executive said, relief and elation on his face.  The gamble about entrusting the pitch to a junior assistant he barely knew had paid off.     
  
It was then that Jared saw it. A glint in his boss’ eye, a hint of kindness and the potential that maybe he wasn’t all bad.  It was at that moment too, he took note of the executive’s glistening green eyes, enticing him in.  But it also showed him his vulnerability and a trace of sadness too.  He actually felt sorry for him and guilt for speaking badly of him all the time.  His hand reached out and took the envelope and glanced quickly at it’s contents.  Until he counted it, he couldn’t be sure how much was in there, but he saw several $500 bills poking out and that was just for starters. “Thank you”.  
  
“We’re going to be finalising the deal at 12pm.  It’s only fair that you’re a part of it, but not looking as you are. So go home, sort yourself out, shower and freshen up and be back here before 11am to make the final preparations” the executive said, as he returned to professional mode once again. “Now go, before my office starts smelling of liquor.  And never, ever, come into work in a state like this again, or you will be fired, okay?”.  
  
Jared didn’t need telling twice.  “Okay, thank you”.  His legs were shaking from nervousness and anxiety.  Chloe was never in a million years going to believe this.  Fumbling out of the office, he practically ran all the way back to his apartment like an excitable child.  
  
Jensen sat back in his chair and relaxed into the back support.  The harsh words that had been spoken to him last night had struck a few nerves.  He knew that his behaviour was inexcusable, but it was the way his parents had brought him up.  He was never expected to thank the people that assisted him in life, didn’t think it was necessary.  His mind focussed on the scene in the parking lot last night.  It was wrong to think it, but his assistant had looked pretty good in his blue shirt, which was open at the top, showing off the toned, tanned torso.  The faded jeans showed off his lower body and accentuated his figure perfectly.  Another thought struck him.  What was he doing in the Castro? It wasn’t just a coincidence and he couldn’t have just been passing through.  And why was he so quick to point out that the girl he was with, was not his girlfriend?  
  
It was a juvenile thing to do and a long shot, but he opened up his internet browser and went onto Facebook.  There was no point in him registering for an account because he wouldn’t have any friends as such to add.  And living the high profile life that he did, he didn’t want strangers prying into his life to get some juicy gossip about him, and make assumptions about his life to sell to the tabloids.  Quickly checking his database, he found Jared’s surname and typed it into the search engine.  He found the photo of his assistant and clicked to view his profile. Under relationship status was the word ’Single’.  And even better still, it specified that he was interested in Men.  After the revelation, he cursed himself for being so silly.  There was no way he could fall for his assistant.    
  
Besides, the young man hated his guts.  
  
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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- 

“Is that bacon and coffee I can smell?” Jared asked loudly as he closed the front door behind him.  The brisk run through the windy city had virtually cleared his hangover and now he craved food and caffeine.

Chloe was in the kitchen, frying bacon in a pan in a daze, clearly struggling with her hangover too.  She looked up at the clock on the wall. “Why aren’t you in work?” she asked in confusion as she heard her friend enter their apartment. “Oh God…I remember what I said to your boss last night.  Well parts of it anyway” she cringed and stopped her mind into remembering anymore.  “He’s fired you, right? I really shouldn‘t do shots….they make me blab no end…”.

Jared grabbed some slices of bread and popped them into the toaster. “Nope” he said happily. “He said thank you! Can you believe it?”.

“You’re joking right? Actually screwing with me?” Chloe asked.

Shaking his head, Jared smiled back.

“Wow“….” the blond said groggily. “That’s not even the best part.  We won the pitch. Yay!” Jared squealed. “So I’m taking you out to Caesar’s tonight.  I’ve booked us a table”.

“Caesar’s? The new 5 star Italian restaurant in Little Italy? Jay, we couldn’t even afford to pay for the tap water there.  How are we going to pay for a three course meal?” Chloe said practically as she turned over the pieces of sizzling bacon in the pan.

Jared pulled out the envelope.  He had resisted temptation in counting it out during his run home. “With this….my bonus from Sir Ackles!”.

“Holy crap!” Chloe said as she took the envelope and did a quick count through.  “He‘s totally paying you to keep quiet about you seeing him with that hooker! That’s enough to cover the rent for a few months, plus more! Maybe our royal highness does have a conscience. But are you sure that you want to spend some of it on taking me out for a meal?”.

“Absolutely Chlo.  If it wasn’t for you, then I’d still be shovelling crap for virtually no pay and no thanks what-so-ever.  I know his good mood isn’t going to last, but I’m making the most of it.  Oh yeah, and so far no texts or voicemail from Patrick either which is an added bonus!” the happy young assistant said as he took the toast from the toaster and began to butter them generously.

Chloe’s smile grew wider, until she pondered as to why Jared wasn’t in work right now. “Then why did you get sent home from work?”.

Jared grimaced. “Because we’re finalising the deal later on and apparently I’m in need of tidying up and smell like a liquor cabinet”.

“Hhm, well I’m not going to defend you there, because he’s actually right in this instance.  You can have first dibs on the shower, your need is greater than mine right now” the blond said matter-of-factly, wrinkling her nose up at the obscene smell. “I’ll keep your breakfast warm for you”.  She picked up a slice of greasy bacon and brought it up to her mouth.  Nausea rose up in the back of her throat, causing her to gag and retch. “Nope, aspirin first” she muttered as she went off in pursuit of the medication.

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Jensen had felt much more relaxed and calmer once all the contracts had been signed.  It was a huge accomplishment and something very impressive to add to his portfolio.  Of course, his parents couldn’t have cared less, they were just happy to have a few more extra pennies in their bank account.  They had washed their hands of their company years ago and had said that they didn’t want to be bothered about trivial things. Over the past few weeks, he had lined up a few more prospective companies and had invested some more time in his assistant, entrusting him with a few more responsibilities than just making coffee and running mundane errands for him.  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was getting a soft spot for his underdog assistant, and Jared was good, really, really good.  He had never felt like this about anyone, ever before and wasn‘t sure what to do with these foreign feelings. Hanging his coat up on the stand in the hallway, he made his way into the spacious lounge and kitchen area.

“Lucy? Hey Lucy Lou..” he called affectionately, making clicking noises with his tongue.  When the tabby cat bounded up to him he immediately scooped her up into his arms.  He frowned worriedly when she didn’t purr when he stroked her under her chin. “Are you feeling poorly?”. 

After some gentle persuasion she started to purr loudly and he relaxed, holding her tighter to his chest, protectively.  “That’s more like it”. Putting her down gently onto the floor, he watched her run over to her scratching pole and start to play with it.  Looking out of the window that encompassed his luxury apartment, giving him an almost panoramic view of the city, he saw the first few signs that Christmas was nearing. 

A few fairy lights adding colour to the illuminated landscape.  Christmas was about sharing with loved ones; families and friends.  To him it was just like any other day of the year.  He would spend it like he always did; a few drinks in the bar on Christmas Eve and then get a home delivered gourmet Christmas dinner for one.  He was debating even bothering to put up a Christmas tree this year, but his housekeeper Loretta always insisted on putting one up for him and he liked to indulge her and always gave in.  He had to admit, it did look nice and make his empty apartment more homely, not that he had anyone else to share it with. Christmas was just less than 2 months away.  And that meant the annual Christmas party.  Exchanging pleasantries and making small talk with his colleagues who hated his guts. A buffet, and some entertainment. It was always an unpleasant event, but one that seemed to be so important to his workforce and their morale.  If spending a few hours a year with them socially, meant that they were willing to work for him, then it was worthwhile.  Something inside of him stirred. 

Jared was part of his team this year.  Maybe he could tolerate it knowing that he’d have something nice to look at.  Who knows what could happen with flowing alcohol and mistletoe.

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“How do I look?” Chloe asked Jared as she turned around in a circle, showing off her new outfit.

Jared was genuinely stunned by how amazing and sophisticated she looked.  It took his breath away. “Wow, you look great.  Really great Chlo.  If only I was straight, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now” he winked suggestively.

The dolled up blond smiled wickedly and nudged her friend. “Behave will you! So seriously, I look fine?  It’s the third date, so it’s kind of a big deal. I really like this guy, I don‘t want to mess this up”.

“You’re not going to mess this up.  Everybody loves you for who you are and if he can’t see that, then he’s not worthy of you.  And I’m not expecting you home before midnight either” the brunette said, quirking an eyebrow at his friend. “Now get outta here”.

Chloe ruffled up the back of her hair one last time and leant over Jared, who was sat on the floor of their lounge, immersed in folders and documents. “I feel bad. That I’m out having fun and you’re stuck here working your ass off”.

Jared shrugged his shoulders. “Just because my life sucks ass, doesn’t mean I should drag you down with me”.

“I thought you were getting on better with ‘Mr’ Ackles” Chloe said, saying his name with gritted teeth.

“Hhm, if by better you mean that I’ve only got to prepare all of those documents by lunchtime tomorrow rather than first thing, then sure! Does that guy actually do any of the work himself? Or does he just sit back and reap of all the glory and profits” Jared said accusingly. “I’m sorry, I’m moaning again.  Go and enjoy yourself, Chlo”.

Chloe smiled sympathetically and kissed the matted hair on Jared’s head. “Okay Jay.  It will be worth it I’m sure if you get another one of those big fat bonuses.  Maybe I should intervene again and give him another piece of my mind”.

Jared looked up from a tedious looking document and gasped. “No way. Nuh uh. How I managed to avoid being castrated, or any other form of torture I don’t know.  Someone up there is looking down on me, for sure”.

The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. The blond smiled excitedly. “He’s here….are you sure I look okay?”. “I’m positive” Jared said.  And he really couldn’t be any more sincere about that.

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Mike shuffled into the communal lounge, defeated, with his tail between his legs solemnly. “That man is beyond unreasonable.  He totally blew me off yesterday” he moaned, as he slumped down onto a chair in between Brad and Jared. “I’ve worked my ass off for weeks trying to hunt down these companies and get them to meet with Jensen, and then his royal highness told them where to get off unless they were willing to up their price. As chief of research and promotions, why do I even bother?! Here‘s hoping he‘s in a better mood today, or God forbid”.

Jared giggled nervously into his coffee, looking down at his night’s hard work which was probably going to be rejected in the same harsh way. “He better appreciate all of this” he said making a vague hand gesture to the folder of edited documents in front of him. “Because the way I’m feeling today, he’s going to literally have these stuffed up his ass otherwise!”.

Tom smiled amusedly as he pictured the scene. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem Jay.  You’re definitely flavour of the month right now.  I mean seriously, how are you doing it? You’ve way surpassed your predecessors.  You’re a hero Jayman” he said patting him on the back.

“I, well…I dunno about that.  But he hasn’t told me I’m completely useless for a few days…so I guess that’s a good sign” Jared said as he fiddled with his coffee mug.

Jensen walked past the communal lounge, carrying his briefcase in his hand. “Jared!” he shouted out.

Jared’s attention was averted from the mug as he looked at his watch and then the other guys, who just shrugged their shoulders.  He had gone to give his boss his morning coffee half an hour ago, but the office was empty, so he had poured the cold coffee down the sink and took a seat here in the communal lounge until he arrived.  Getting to his feet, he shuffled out into the corridor. “Good morning Mr Ackles…”.

“I’ve got some errands I need you to run for me” the executive said as he pulled out some items from his case and handed them over. “Get out your pen” he ordered.

Jared hastily located his pen from his pocket and found a corner of scrap paper to write on. “Go on….”. “I need you to book 2 return airline tickets, business class, to San Diego, for next Tuesday, coming back on the Saturday” Jensen said.

“Okay. One ticket for you I presume….and who’s name am I putting on the second ticket?” Jared asked as he wrote things down.

“Yours of course” Jensen said matter-of-factly.

“Uh mine?” the young assistant asked in confusion. Jensen nodded his head. “Yes, yours”. Jared faltered. “But why would I need a ticket to San Diego?”.

Jensen just blinked back like it was blindingly obvious. “Because there’s a conference I need attend in San Diego next week and you’re coming with me”.

“Me? Are you sure?” Jared asked. “You’re my assistant, so yes.  You’ll just need to take notes and stuff, nothing too taxing. If there’s a problem then I…..”.

“No, there’s no problem.  Thank you” Jared said, still in a state of some disbelief. Jensen’s face remained unchanged at the sentiment. “Oh…and you’ll need to book me into the top floor suite in the convention Hotel on the Harbour.  And book a room for yourself too.  Just put it all on the business account”.

Jared scribbled down all the information he was being given before it left his mind. “Okay, I’ll get that booked for you”. The executive stayed rooted on the spot, as if waiting expectantly for something. “Where’s my coffee?” he asked when his assistant remained silent.

“You weren’t in at your usual time, so it got cold” Jared said nervously, getting all flustered.

“My usual time? I was busy this morning, not that that’s got anything to do with you.  Get me a fresh one please” Jensen said coolly as he approached the elevator and retrieved his Blackberry and started to scroll through his list of e-mails.

“Yep, right away” Jared shouted back, resisting the urge to salute his boss mockingly. “Jerk” he muttered under his breath.  He strolled back into the communal lounge and flopped down on the chair. Sir Ackles could wait a minute for his coffee. “Guess what guys? I’m off to San Diego!”.

Tom quirked an eyebrow. “San Diego? Oh man, the annual budget conference.  That sucks ass, poor you.  Those things are so booooring, with a big fat capital ‘B’”.

Jared broke into a smile nonetheless. “Yeah but it’s San Diego! I’ve never been there before.  And I’m staying in a real nice Hotel by the sounds of it. That’s awesome in my book”.

Brad shook his head. “Yeah, but the flight alone is bad enough, being in close confinement on a plane for a few hours with Sir Ackles….that’s tense.  And you’ll basically be taking all the notes, doing all the hard graft, making sure his suits have been properly laundered….slave work Jay!”.

Nothing could wipe the smile off Jared’s face. “Hello? That’s basically my job right now, except that I’ll be in San Diego.  He’s not going to expect to wait on him hand and foot for 24 hours a day.  I’ll have some down time, right?”.

Mike just scoffed and patted the young assistant on his back. “Hhhhmmm.  I don’t wanna crush your dreams Jayman, I really don’t, but you’ll just have to wait and see.  But that’s all that I’m saying is that this conference is the reason why so many people have quit.  They just couldn’t take the pace and handle the wrath of Jekyll and Hyde.  This is gonna make or break you”.

Jared just laughed. “Well then, I’m going to enjoy it whilst it lasts then” he said as he got to his feet. “I guess I better get his coffee, sweeten him up for everyone.  Catch y’all later!”.

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“You going to be packing your beach shorts?” Chloe asked as she stuffed Jared’s socks into his case. Jared giggled at his friend’s amusement. “It’s not a beach holiday Chlo.  It’s business.  I don’t think that I’m going to have any time to be sun bathing or playing beach volleyball.  And I was more than capable of packing my own case”.

The blond mock pouted as she zipped up her best friend’s case, satisfied that everything was all packed and ready to go. “Seriously, no you weren’t.  Those shirts would have been so creased by the time you arrive, no iron would have helped.  And you needed black socks with your suits, not the multicoloured ones”.

“I’m not that comfortable that you’re going through my underwear drawer” Jared admitted as he wrinkled up his nose.

Chloe laughed as she slid his toiletry bag in the outside pocket of the suitcase. “I’m more than accustomed to your tighty whities, I’m the one that has to wash them occasionally”.

Jared smiled at the much better attempt at packing than his. “Thanks, your one in a million, you know? I’m going to miss you…”.

“No you’re not! You’ll be having far too much fun.  And if he drives you to insanity and forces you to quit, then snag his credit card and book a few more nights in the hotel at his expense and have some fun” Chloe said as she winked suggestively.

“Behave will you.  I’ll send you a postcard or something!” Jared mocked back.

“Or bring me back one of those dashing sailors you find at the Harbour.  It’s a massive naval base, so you’re bound to find some hunky men for us” the blond said playfully.

“Hey, I thought that things were going great with Jimmy” he said. Chloe’s face lit up as she sighed dreamily.

“Yeah…they are.  Really great.  He’s coming over to stay tomorrow night.  I’m cooking us dinner”.

Jared beamed back, genuinely happy for his friend.  He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a bear hug. “No sex on the couch, I’m serious.  Or in my bed either!”.

“Spoil sport!” the blond giggled back.  “Now get outta here, or you’ll miss your transfer car to the airport.  See you Saturday evening”.

“See you Blondie” Jared said affectionately as he gave his friend a brief peck on the cheek, before heading out the door, suitcase in tow.

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“I’m going to get a coffee, do you want one?” Jared asked his boss as they were sat in the first class area in the departure lounge, awaiting their boarding.

Jensen looked up from the San Francisco Business Times newspaper he was reading. “Please” he answered. “And a danish if they’ve got any.  If not then….well, you know what I like…”.

Jared smiled. “Yeah, I know what it is you like.  I’ll see what I can get you”.

“Thank you” Jensen said without thinking about it.  He had surprised himself at the words that had tumbled from him mouth. The young assistant seemed equally surprised and shocked.

“It’s okay…” he said as he wandered off to the nearest coffee stand.

Jensen sighed and folded up his paper as he watched his assistant walk away.  He seemed more laid back and relaxed today.  The suit pants showed off the toned globes of his perfect ass.  Being in a busy airport terminal, gave him the perfect opportunity to stare at it without being obvious.  He watched his assistant as he smiled at the coffee vender, obviously sharing a joke.  He’d never really seen Jared smile before.  But it was an amazing smile, little dimples appearing as he beamed.  If only a smile like that was directed at him.

“Here you go” Jared said, handing over a cup of coffee and a muffin to his boss, breaking him from his daydream. “They only had blueberry muffins left so…”.

“That’s okay” Jensen said as he watched Jared take a slurp of his coffee. “Aren’t you getting anything to eat?”.

Jared patted his stomach. “I ate at breakfast.  I’m watching my figure at the moment and working out at the gym…don’t need the extra carbs..”.

Jensen couldn’t help but envisage the defined abs under the shirt. “Yeah, you look gr…I mean, yeah it‘s paid off” he stuttered and then tried to act non-chalant, trying to hide his blushing.  He looked at the air hostess in the corner of the room to distract him from the current conversation. “I think we’ll be boarding soon.  We’ll be first on seeing as we’re business class”.

“Great” Jared said nervously. He had flown a few times before, but wasn’t the biggest fan.  He was used to economy class though and the cramped confines, because of his long legs it made it all the more uncomfortable for him. Being in business class with the extra leg room was only something he had dreamed of before now. “I’m going to….stretch my legs before we board.” he said, making an excuse to get away for a few minutes.  He needed some time by himself before he gets tied to his bosses demands for a few days.

They were well into their flight, sat next to each other, spread out in between, but in close proximity, when Jensen slammed his fist down on his laptop in frustration. “Uh! Stupid piece of crap!” Jared looked up from the novel that he was reading and pondered whether to say anything or not.

“Problem?”. The executive sighed deeply and composed himself. “Stupid software on this.  I can’t get these figures to add up for some reason.  I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong” he admitted freely.

Putting down his book, Jared cleared his throat and moved a little closer to his boss. “Do you want me to take a look?”.

“What do you know about this sort of thing?” Jensen asked hotly, not meaning for it to sound so harsh.

The young assistant smiled and let the harsh question wash over him. “My parents run their own business, they’ve got a small hold ranch back home in Texas.  I used to help them out with the books, hard graft, day to day running of the place”.

“Texas? Is that where you’re from?” Jensen asked curiously.  He should really learn more about the person that was so heavily involved in his life.

Jared nodded his head, proud of his native hometown. “Yeah, born and bred”.

“My grandparents lived in Texas.  I used to love going to visit during the holidays, running around on their farm, playing with the animals” Jensen reminisced.  It was true, aside from the boarding school he had attended, that was his second home.  His parents hadn’t even bothered much with him during the school holidays and was shipped off to his grandparents and they were his main caregivers.  He loved them dearly and had very fond memories of his times with them.

“Really?” Jared asked, shocked that his boss had given him a snippet of information into his life. Finally some common ground. “Which part?”.

“Dallas” Jensen said simply.  He had already felt like he had said too much.

“San Antonio” the assistant replied. They were silent for a few moments, both just staring at each other, until Jensen passed the laptop over to Jared.

Jared scrolled down the contents of the screen and tried to work out what his boss was doing wrong. “Ah, I’ve got it.  You need to come up on this, which should decrease this..and…” he said pressing some buttons, “According to this calculation, there’s the 2.8% that you’re missing I believe”. Jensen reached over his assistant to turn the screen around more for him to see, accidently brushing his hand in the process.  There seemed to be a tingle of something between them, a spark. 

Withdrawing his hand quickly, the executive smiled. “Ha, well, will you look at that.  Is there anything you can’t do?”.

The young assistant smiled embarrassingly. “Hhm, I dunno. I was always a bit of a geek in school…books and computers were my sort of thing, ya know?”.

The plane suddenly hit a patch of turbulence and jolted forwards, sending Jared’s half drank coffee, sliding onto Jensen’s lap. “Oh God! I’m so sorry!” the younger man apologised, as he retrieved the cup and reached out for some paper towels.  Just his luck.  Just as they seemed to be making some progress, fate decides to intervene and screw things up for him. He started dabbing the coffee spill on his boss’ thigh instinctively, trying to clean it up.

Jensen flinched at the initial touch, feeling something stir inside of him as his assistant’s hand was rubbing up and down his thigh, the sensitive skin responding to the movements; it was sensual and erotic.  “Jared it’s okay” he said calmly.  He put his hand on Jared’s and stilled the motion before he got a full on boner.

Jared looked deep into his boss’ eyes, realising for the first time how green they were.  He was so taken back by the calm expression, it took him a few moments to realise that they were, for all pretence and purposes, holding hands. “Sorry” he said, pulling his hand away and handing over a wad of paper towels.

Jensen’s face uncharacteristically softened even more. “It’s okay, really.  Not your fault, they warned us about the turbulence.  I’ll just go and get myself all cleaned up. I always carry a spare suit in my hand luggage”.  As he stood up, the plane decided to jostle from side to side again, causing the older man to almost stumble into his assistant’s arms.  He felt Jared’s strong arms catch him and prop him back up.  He felt safe and secure.  Feeling embarrassed, he smiled back, something that was again, very out of character for him; but then there had been no one like Jared in his life before; no one he had ever felt like this about before. “I’ll be back”.

“No worries, I’ll get this all cleaned up for you by the time you get back” the assistant said as he mopped up the spill with more paper towels.  He was still trying to bite down on his lip, from stopping himself from moaning as he’d just had his boss’ groin inadvertently thrust in his face.  He needed a distraction, something to focus on.  It only worked for a few seconds, because as his boss walked down the aisle, he found himself staring.  He had seen a softer side to Jensen more recently; he may be a jerk, but deep down, he had a heart, he was sure of it.  Oh yeah and he was also sexy as hell.  He quickly moved the laptop back onto his lap to hide his arousal and tried to focus on the boring numbers in front of him on the screen, willing his body to behave before his boss came back.

The executive slid back into his seat a few minutes later, changed in a crisp new, clean seat. “Christmas party” he spurted out.

Jared jumped slightly, not realising that his boss was back next to him.  Was he imagining it or was there tension between them?  More like sexual tension, sparks of something exciting, full of promise. “Christmas party?”.

“Yeah.  Every year I organise a Christmas party for the office.  It’s not really my thing, but it kinda keeps the morale of the place going. I don’t have time to organise anything for it, I never get involved in that side of things…..so can you take care of it?” Jensen asks his keen assistant.  He tries to avoid making any sort of eye contact with the other man after getting a little too close to for comfort. 

“Okay, sure” Jared said enthusiastically. “What’s the brief on it?”.

Jensen smiled kindly and shrugged his shoulders. “Just find a venue, order some food and alcohol, invitations for colleagues and their partners.  We usually book it a week before Christmas, on the Friday night, so I think that’s the 18th? And you know, you can bring your partner too….or, whoever” he said coolly, testing the water and to see that he had his facts right.

The assistant blushed and bit down on his lower lip.  “I uh….I don’t have a partner at the moment, it’s just my best friend Chloe….who you’ve already met, but you probably wouldn’t want her to be there, not after what she said to you” he said cringing at the recollection.

The older man tried to hide his amusement. “That’s okay, if you want to bring her, then that’s fine.  Just keep her away from the punch bowl”.

Jared snorted ungraciously and clasped a hand over his mouth. “That’s going to be tough but I’ll give it a go”.

Jensen allowed himself to smile a little as he reached over for his laptop again.

Jared looked out the window and saw that the plane was descending just as the seat belt sign flicked on above them.  Relaxing back into the seat, he prepared himself for the landing and whatever Mr.Ackles and San Diego had in store for him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-

After touching down in San Diego, the landing being an experience and a half, the expert pilot lowered the plane down on the harbour side runaway through the tall buildings,  and the two men went their separate ways.

Jensen had made his way up to the top floor penthouse suite and ordered in room service, a tasty gourmet meal and a bottle of chilled white wine.  He had then settled down on the large couch in the middle of the room, and got out his laptop again and started to work.

The second Jared had walked into his luxury hotel room, he had thrown down his suitcase and began jumping up and down on one of the beds like an excitable little child.  And the view from his room didn’t disappoint either.  Once he’d tested out the beds and looked around the room, opening every door and cupboard and squealed at the size of the tub and the marble floor in the bathroom, he went to the window again and looked longingly out at the harbour.  The only instruction he had received from his boss was to be outside his door at 9am the next morning, ready for their first conference.  That meant that he had a couple of hours to explore the vicinity before the sun went down.  Wasting no time, he took a quick picture on his phone of the room and the view and sent it as an MMS message to Chloe and then changed into his shorts, t-shirt and flip flops, grateful that his friend had ignored his advice and had packed them anyway.

Once outside, Jared brought his sunglasses from the top of his head and over his eyes.  Despite it nearing the end of November, the temperature was still hovering around 65 degrees.  The light breeze that was whipping his hair around, was refreshing and relatively still in comparison to the harsh, chilly winds of the San Franciscan bay that he had grown acclimatised to.

He strolled along the waterfront, looking at the navel ships, and taking in the atmosphere of the place.  Giving in to the rumblings of his stomach, he bought some tacos from a vender and continued his stroll along the outskirts of the harbour, watching the sun set across the bay.  When the temperature suddenly dropped as the sun diminished, he shivered and began to walk back to the hotel.

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Jensen had given up on working.  He couldn’t focus his mind on work.  His suit jacket and tie were hung up in the wardrobe and he’d loosened a few of his top buttons on his shirt.  His usually immaculate side swept hair had ruffled up as a result of him running his hands through his hair in a bid to frantically concentrate on the spread sheet of statistics in front of him.

“Screw this” he said when he’d finally had enough.  He toed on a pair of loafers and removed his braces from his trousers.  Grabbing his wallet, he downed the last drops from his glass of wine and headed downstairs to the bar.

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Picking at the tortilla chips and dipping them in the salsa on the bar top, Jensen pushed a wad of dollar notes towards the bartender. “Another scotch please…” he said as his attention was drawn to the television that was showing a college basketball match.  Then something caught his attention further afield, just to the left of the television.  It was Jared, passing through the bar area from the lobby to his room on the fifth floor.  His sunglasses were resting on the top of his head, brushing his hair back from his face.  The shorts and t-shirt he was wearing showed off his tanned, toned body.  His face was glowing, almost like the sun was still shining on it.  Just as the other man passed him, he called out. “Evening” he said as he took the full glass of scotch that had just been handed to him.

Jared stopped in his tracks, almost shocked that he had run into his boss.  Almost forgetting that they were staying in the same place and had arrived together. “Good evening” he replied as he looked at his boss, casual in his pose and his style.  His hair looked so much better out of it’s coifed style.  It was natural the way it was right now.  He tried to keep his eyes above waist level, but couldn’t help but stare at the soft flesh peeking out through the open top of his shirt.  Dressed down, more casual, made him look softer and more approachable.

The executive spun around on his stool to face his assistant without having to crane his neck to do so. “Why don’t you come and have a drink with me.  The scotch is good.  Or it’s that not your thing, they’ll make up any cocktail you like.  I can recommend the pomegranate frozen margarita?” he suggested.

“I…uh…I can’t” Jared said, making his excuse.  His appearance didn’t really fit with the décor of the bar.  His shorts and flip flops stood out from the well dressed and smart looking theme that the other people had gone for. “Not really dressed appropriately”.

Jensen tried to hide his disappointment. “Oh.  Okay” he said taking a sip from his glass. “Don’t want to be seen with your boss.  It’s okay, you hate me, I know”.

Jared moaned quietly to himself and sighed, feeling guilty. “I don’t hate you” he said as he pulled up a stool next to his boss.  Who cares about his attire.  As far as he was concerned, he was practically in another country and he wouldn’t be seeing any of these people again- if you didn’t include his boss of course.  But the executive didn’t seem to care.

Jensen scoffed loudly. “Why not? Everyone else seems to.  I’m not the easiest person to get on with” he confessed.  He’d obviously tipped the bartender too well, because his drinks were getting stronger.

“They don’t hate you.  They just think you’re an ass.  There’s a difference” the young assistant said jokingly, cracking a small smile. “And you’re not so bad..”.

“Ha ha thank you, that’s reassuring” the executive said as his face relaxed and he took a small sip of scotch.  He then giggled quietly in amusement.

The bartender approached the younger man.  He looked down at his attire with a hint of disapproval.  But then the man next to him was a big tipper so he said nothing about it. “Can I get you a drink, sir?”.

Jared had relaxed his stiff body, and felt that any tension that had lingered between them, had now dissolved. He no longer felt uncomfortable in his boss’ presence, and was now more curious to get further glimpses into the insight of his life. “Yeah, I’ll have one of your frozen pomegranate margaritas please” he said as he dipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his wallet.

“It’s on me” Jensen said in an instance as he plucked out another wad of notes and pushed them across the bar.

“Thank you” Jared said gratefully.  He was glad because who knows what extortionate prices the hotel bestowed on their clients.

“I take it that you went for a stroll around the harbour.  Beautiful isn’t it?” Jensen said, perking up again.

“Yeah, it’s amazing.  You’re so lucky getting to go around the country and the world, and seeing all these lovely places” the assistant said, with a pang of jealously.

Jensen shook his head. “No, I’m not.  Not really.  I never get to see much of the places I go to.  Only from the inside of a taxi, or aeroplane or an office or hotel room.  It’s not as glamorous as you might think.  They all look the same to me now all of these places.  I‘d quite like to be a tourist at some point…”.

Jared’s jealously turned to pity. “Sorry”.

“We’ve got tomorrow afternoon free.  You should head down to old town San Diego.  It’s a lovely little place.  You’ll be able to pick up a gift for your friend perhaps.  You could almost be in Mexico there.  Worth checking out” Jensen advised, stiffening up again as he recalled a memory from a few years ago.  A bitter memory with an ex boyfriend.

The bartender handed over the cocktail to the assistant who nodded his thanks and took a sip, humming with approval. “I’ll do that, thank you.  And you’re right, this is good” he said, taking another sip. “So, what is this conference about tomorrow then?”.

Jensen sighed thoughtfully. “Analysis and statistics.  I’m trying to expand the company beyond this side of the world and take it global”.

Jared looked shocked. “But, I’ve read up on your stuff, you are already a global success, I mean the biggest in the industry!”.

“Used to be…” the executive said remorsefully. “Until my father let the business go under and down the pan.  He passed the buck to me and now I’m trying to re-establish the company and rescue it.  I’m doing the best I can.  My parents don’t care about it anymore.  That’s all they’re interested in is their lump sum every month from the profits I’m making”.

The young assistant was genuinely shocked and actually felt now, that his boss’ mannerisms and obsession with perfection, was totally justified.  He wasn’t trying to make excuses for his atrocious behaviour towards his staff, but the pressure he must be under is phenomenal and he can’t imagine what that must be like.  Thinking about it, Jensen was always in before him in the mornings, and still there when he went home.  He shuddered to think how many hours a day he worked. “Wow.  Mr Ackles, I’m sorry.  But from what I’ve read about you, you’ve done a great job so far and your profits this year alone have been very favourable indeed.  I know that you can do this”.

The harsh lines on Jensen’s face softened again at the praise from the younger man. “Sucking up to the boss, hey?”.

Jared twirled the straw around in his cocktail. “Yeah, for sure!” he said unashamedly. “Look, I’m going to help you, okay? I’m with you all the way.  As are the rest of the team.  If you want me to put in more hours, do more research, anything, just let me know”.

Jensen gave a subtle nod of his head and smiled. “No, you’re doing just fine.  More than fine.  You’re a clever young man.  You’re going to go far. If you think I’m holding you back, I’ll understand if you want to find another company to work for…”.

“No!” Jared shouted out, perhaps a little too harshly as he attracted some unwanted attention, a few of the other people giving him a fleeting glance. “I’m not a quitter. I’m going to see this through.  I don’t give up that easily! Wait, you‘re not going to let me go are you? Fire me?”.

Making a delighted hum of approval, Jensen smiled discreetly at the irony.  A man after his own heart with the same philosophy in life as himself. “No, I’m not firing you.  I’d be stupid to” he said tapering off.  He looked down at his watch as he tried to stifle a yawn. “Look, what I’ve told you here today, don’t go spreading it around, okay? The rest of the team hate me enough already so I don‘t want to go making them even more twitchy”.

“No.  It’s going to remain between us, that I can promise you” Jared said truthfully.  He wasn’t going to break his boss’ new found confidence in him.

“Good” Jensen said, painting the serious mask back over his face as he slid off the bar stool after downing the rest of his glass of scotch. “I’m heading off to bed.  I suggest you’re not too far behind me.  We’ve got a very long morning ahead of us and we both need to be sharp and on the ball”.

Jared slurped a few quick mouthfuls of his drink in quick succession. “Yeah, no worries. Goodnight”.

“Goodnight” Jensen said as he turned away from his assistant, slung his jacket over his shoulder and started to walk away; a big grin on his face.  He resisted the urge to do a triumphant dance.  Jared didn’t hate him.  And he wasn’t going to be going anywhere, for a while at least.

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Chloe screamed delightfully as Jared walked into their apartment a few days later, having just been dropped off by a chauffer car.

“I missed you so much!”.

Jared laughed and shook his head. “No you didn’t, you were too busy having a snog fest with Jimmy”.

“No!” the blonde said as she folded her arms across her chest. “Well….yeah, but I still missed you.  Anyway, enough about me, how was San Diego? Did you get to see any of it or were you too busy being a slave? How hard did you have to work? You must be exhausted, I’ll go and put some coffee on”.

“Chloe, relax.  And breathe will you, take a breath in before you pass out?” Jared said as he put his hand on her arm gently.

“Sorry” Chloe apologised.  She then gestured towards the couch and sat down herself, her friend following her lead. “You’ve caught the sun” she said, looking at the brunette properly for the first time in days. “So you couldn’t have been stuck indoors the whole time! In fact, you look like you’ve just come back from holiday, all relaxed and mellowed out, not from a business trip!”.

“Yeah I am really chilled.  It wasn’t like doing hard work at all.  I had most of the evenings free and an afternoon aswell.  Jensen was really fair…”.

“Jensen?” Chloe asked exasperatedly. “Since when has it been ‘Jensen’”?

“Since….I don’t know.  We’ve kind of had a connection these past few days. I’ve seen a different side to him.  I just think that he’s really misunderstood, you know? He‘s under so much pressure, but deep down….deep, deep down” he added “He’s a good guy” he said dreamily, as he relaxed back into the couch.  

Chloe’s smile grew wider. “Oh my God Jay.  You like him! You really like him!” she said, pointing a finger at her best friend.

Jared could feel himself blushing. “No…I mean…well yeah he’s like super hot…but, no….”.

“You were bitching about him so much last week and now you’re sticking up for him! You like him! Admit it! You’re falling for your boss!” Chloe said excitably. “He’s a prick, but you’ve got it bad, I know you too well” she said as she catapulted herself onto Jared’s lap and started to tickle him under the arms, digging into the places she knew he was most ticklish.

Jared started screaming and laughing at the same time as he fought against the tickling. “No…stop it, stop it!” he begged. “Okay….okay…you win, I surrender”.

Chloe backed off and sat down on his lap properly, a smug look on her face. “So….what happened then?”.

“Nothing happened.  Well I mean there were a few touchy feely moments on the plane when I spilt coffee down his suit pants.  But he just opened up to me.  I felt really sorry for him.  I don’t fully condone his behaviour but he has his reasons and I really don’t think he means to act the way he does”.

“And?” Chloe asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

Jared shrugged his shoulder with indignation. “And what?”.

“And?” the blonde prompted again.

Sighing defeatedly, Jared groaned inwardly. “And he looks great in a suit and I’m falling for him.  God, this is not good, what am I going to do Chloe?” he asked, putting his head in his hands.

Chloe leant forwards, resting her head on her best friend’s shoulder. “I don’t know sweetie.  Only you know how you feel. I’m sure you’ll change your mind next week when he’s using you as his personal slave again and making ridiculous demands!”.

“Well, my next task for him is to organise the Christmas party in a few weeks time.  Which, by the way, you’re invited to on the condition you go easy on the punch!” Jared said amusedly.

“He said that? Really? The little swine…” Chloe said.

Jared raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Okay, that’s more than fair I guess. But I’m not taking back what I said to him! Okay, I’m taking you shopping and we’re going to get you looking smoking hot!”.

“It’s not going to work…..but I’ll take up your offer anyway” Jared said as he lifted the petite blond off his lap and down onto the couch next to him.

“Okay, seeing as you’re back, can we please put up the Christmas decorations now?” Chloe asked excitedly as she got onto her knees in a begging position.

Jared looked at the boxes of decorations that had already been brought down from the top of the wardrobe. “You we going to put them up anyway weren’t you?”.

“Come on Mr Scrooge, it’s 4 weeks to Christmas” the blond stated matter-of-factly. “You love Christmas really!”.

Jared smiled at the statement.  He loved Christmas. “Yeah, I do.  But do you want your presents first?” he asked as he went to unzip his suitcase.  It hadn’t been packed as neatly as it was before he went away.  The dirty clothes had just been stuffed in, in a hurry to pack before leaving for the airport.

“I have presents?” Chloe asked, the excitement apparent in her high pitched voice.

“Of course you have presents Chlo.  You’re my girl” Jared said happily.

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A couple of days later, Jensen returned home to his apartment to find Loretta putting the final touches to the Christmas tree in his open plan lounge and kitchen.  It was very tasteful and classy and he had to admit that it made him feel just a tad Christmassy.

“I’ll get going now Meester Ackles” the portugese housekeeper said as she grabbed her coat from the hallway. “I’ve put your dry cleaning away in your wardrobe and there’s a fresh lasagne in the fridge and one in the freezer for you”.

“Thank you.  And the tree looks lovely, really, really nice” the executive said as he looked at the glow of the white fairy lights.

Loretta smiled. “I know you say you no like….but it’s Christmas”.

Jensen gently flicked one of the decorations on the tree, watching it sway back and forth memorisingly. “Oh…I almost forgot” he said as he went into his jacket pocket and retrieved an envelope. “Here’s your Christmas bonus.  I know it’s a couple of weeks early, but I figured that you could use the extra money to go Christmas shopping with, buy the children something nice this year.  You deserve it…”.

The housekeeper took the envelope and beamed back at her employer. “Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you” she said blowing kisses at the younger man. “Goodnight”.

“Goodnight” Jensen says as he closes and locks the door after she leaves.

He sits down on his couch, and the second he does, Lucy jumps up and makes herself comfortable on his lap and starts to purr immediately.

Jensen strokes the tabby under her chin. “At least we have a tree so I can put your presents under.  But your not allowed to open them until the 25th, okay? But in the meantime, the tinsel’s yours to play with”.

Lucy just yawned, and stretched her legs out and went to sleep.

“Yeah, that’s how I feel too” the executive said as he put his feet up on the foot stool and closed his eyes too, too tired to even heat up the lasagne.

$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*

 

“Okay, so are you sure that he didn’t specify a budget?” Chloe asked Jared as she strolled through the list of restaurants and venues.

Jared shook his head as he bit down on the tip of his pen thoughtfully. “Nope.  He just said venue, food, drink and guest list.  That was it!  I guess that gives me carte blanche”.

Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Cool! Let’s start with the most expensive then.  Seeing as Mr Ackles is footing the bill!”.

Feeling a pang of guilt and especially how hard he knew his boss worked to earn every single dollar, Jared’s conscience took over. “Let’s not” he said taking control of the mouse on the computer. “Let’s not go over board here.  How about this one?”.

The blonde looked at the pictures and wrinkled up her nose. “No…I think you can go one better than that…how about this one, Diablo‘s? I hear that it‘s meant to be very exclusive”.

“And expensive I assume” the brunette said.

“So? You’re not paying for the party, so why are you worrying about it?” Chloe asked.

Jared didn’t know the answer to that question, if he were being honest.  By going wild and spending more money than necessary felt like a betrayal to his boss.  After scrolling through the pictures, he decided that it was too fussy.  Moving down to the bottom of the page, a Texan-themed restaurant caught his eye.  It was perfect, but being this late in it’s planning, the venue was very likely to be fully booked for the date that they wanted. “I like this! And how awesome is this? There‘s a bucking bronco bar too”.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Alright Texas boy, just because it’s right up your street, doesn’t mean that everyone else is going to like it”.

“I think Jensen would approve” Jared spurted out before he realised what he’d said.

“Really?” the blonde asked, intrigued, as she folded her arms across her chest. “And how would you know that?”.

“Just something he told me on the plane before…..about being brought up on his grandparents ranch in Dallas” he said.  Clicking on the link to check for the availability, his hopes were dashed as it was indeed booked up for that night, and every night, leading up to Christmas.  He had to get this place.  It had to be this place, he knew that his boss would approve. “Dammit”.

“You really want to impress him, huh?” the blonde said solemnly as she leant on her best friend’s shoulder.

Jared looked more glum than ever. “Yeah”.  Out of nowhere, an idea struck him. “I’m going to ring them….”.

Chloe frowned. “Jay, it’s all booked up.  There’s got to be somewhere here that’s free on that night”.

“It’s less than 3 weeks away Chloe. Everywhere is booked up. It’s an impossible task.  I’m sure that some run down Motel function room will be able to accommodate us, no problem, but we can do better than that.  You know the guys work so hard at that place and apparently they’ve never, ever had a decent Christmas party, so it’s the least that they deserve and they deserve to have some fun too, not stuck in some back room of a posh hotel with rich people‘s food that no one has ever heard of”.

“Okay, fine.  How are you going to book it if they’re all full up? I don’t think they’d be able to squash two party’s into room.  It’s the law of physics and not even you can defy that” the blonde said diplomatically.

Jared picked up the phone from the rocker and winked. “Just wait and see….” he said as he started to dial the number.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-

“I’ve got the files that you asked for” Jared said as he handed over the pile of folders to his boss along with his morning coffee toast and bagel.

Jensen looked up from his computer and nodded his thanks. “And what time is my conference call to New York?”.

Jared checked the diary that was in front of him. “3pm”.

“Great.  Anything else?” the executive asked as he sensed that his assistant hadn’t quite finished, and seemed to look uncomfortable on the spot.

“I’ve sorted out the Christmas party. Secured us a venue.  It was difficult as everything was fully booked, but it’s on the 18th, like you wanted. “I had to pull a few strings to get it…”.

The executive was too immersed in constructing an e-mail to pay much attention. “Great, just leave the invoice on my desk and I’ll sort out payment”.

“Uh…that’s the thing…it’s free. Kind of….” the younger man said anxiously as he waited for the repercussions.

Jensen’s fingers stopped typing mid-sentence and his attention was averted.  Sitting upright in his chair, his eyes darted upwards. “What do you mean free? You don’t get anything for free.  What’s the catch?”.

“Well they were fully booked, but I managed to reach an agreement with them.  A college had booked them for their end of term Christmas party and they said that they’d rather hire out to a smaller group of people who were less likely to trash the place, in favour of some wild destructive college kids.  But they would be making more money from the bigger party so it wouldn’t be worth their while going with us.  So I offered them something that the other party couldn’t….” the young assistant rambled on nervously.

Jensen had prickles crawling up his skin. “Jared, stop sidetracking and just tell me what you’ve agreed on”.

The assistant closed his eyes for a second and braced himself. “Free advertising”.

“Free? For how long?!” the executive said, raising his voice slightly with fury.

Jared, although agitated, remained calm and stood his ground. “Well they wanted 6 months, but I managed to get them down to 3”.

“3 months? For free?” Jensen clarified as he raised an eyebrow. “You had no authority to do that what-so-ever.  This is a business, my business and we’re here to make profits, not to give things away for free, especially not over a venue for a Christmas party!”.

“No, wait.  Just please, hear me out” Jared said, finding his voice and gaining some courage to speak up and defend himself. When his boss stayed quiet and seemed like he was prepared to listen, he carried on. “They want us to get them through the lull after Christmas to pick up their profits, because that‘s when their business suffers the most, because everyone is always short on money after the holiday.  But If we can push them up by 20% in those 3 months, then they’ve agreed to sign a 12 month contract with us and give us exclusitivity on their new venues which will be opening up in a few months across the state.  It’s a mutual benefit and It’s going to work, I know it is.  And I’m willing to put in the work myself in my own free time, so I won’t impinge on your working day or my workload”.

“You better hope that this is going to work, or you’ll be out on your arse!” Jensen scoffed as he folded his arms across his chest defensively.

The young assistant smiled softly. “It will, I promise.  I’m not going to screw this up.  And if I pull this off, then you’ll be gaining from this in a big way”.

Jensen sighed heavily and went back to typing out his email. “Just get out and get working on the rest of the proposal for me like I asked you to do, so we can actually make a profit”.  His gaze was solely focused on the computer screen in front of him, signalling that he was done.

“Okay” Jared said as he started to walk away.  He stopped just before he got to the door and pulled something out of his pocket. “Here’s your invitation to the party anyway”.  He carefully went up to the desk and laid it down next to his computer and dashed away, out of the door, closing it after he left.

After cooling off for a few moments, the executive carried on working diligently, glancing down at the invitation every once in a while, until his curiosity got the better of him and he neglected his work and opened up the envelope bearing his name, hand written by his assistant’s writing.  The invitation itself was glossy and donned the name of the venue, and it’s words promised a Western Texan inspired theme, food, and a bucking bronco, laid out on 2 floors, with a bar and a lounge.

The executive couldn’t help but smile.  Jared had obviously taken on board what he had told him about growing up on his grandparents ranch and had kept him in mind whilst choosing the venue.  The fact that he had also taken initiative with possibly securing another deal in the near future was an added bonus.  He had believed his assistant when he said that he would make it work and he had no doubt that he couldn’t, in fact he was impressed at how well he had negotiated the deal, despite going behind his back to do it.  It was very clever.

And also, that the Christmas party this year, for the first time ever in his life, was going to be fun.

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Mike grinned manically when he’d opened his invitation for the party. “Man, this is totally awesome! Last year’s may have been really posh and expensive, but that wasn’t real food and I didn’t really know where to begin with the cutlery.  But this? All you can eat ribs and steak with ranch sauce? Now that’s proper food!”.

“Well that was a step up from the Applebee’s the year before that. But this is going to be so much fun! I’m totally going to kick your ass on the bucking bronco” Tom said to his fellow colleagues.

Jared shook his head. “No man, I’m Texas born and bred, I grew up on a ranch, so I think that I’ve got a head start on you guys.  Plus, I’ve got age on my side” he winked, looking specifically at the older man of the group, Brad.

Brad brought two fingers together and mocked shooting Jared, and blew on the end of his make-shift gun. “Watch it, I can still kick your ass and I’m double your age! Anyway, how the hell did you manage to get Mr Ackles to agree to a venue like this? He hates the annual Christmas parties and wants to keep them as brief and as low key as possible”.

“Well….he never gave me a brief, just told me to find a venue and get some food and drink sorted. Plus it was really hard to find somewhere that wasn’t booked up and this place just happened to have a last minute cancellation.  And it’s for us guys, not for Mr Ackles” Jared said happily.

“Have I already told you that you’ve been my favourite so far?” the older man told the young assistant.

Jared felt himself blushing as all eyes were on him. “Uh, yeah. I think you might have mentioned it a few times”.

“Okay, 2 weeks Friday, bring it on! I’m going to dig out my cowboy boots” Mike said enthusiastically as he pocketed his invitation. “My girlfriend is going to love this too.  Who are you bringing Jayman?”.

“My best friend and roomie, Chloe.  She’s great fun and you’ll all love her to bits, like I do” Jared said.

Tom winked and nudged Mike. “Friend, eh?”.

“Yeah.  Friend.  Wait…..you know that I’m gay, right?” Jared asked nervously.

“What?”.

There was an awkward silence in the room for a few seconds, until the trio of men burst out laughing and patted the embarrassed assistant on the back.

“Of course we did.  We’re just playing with you man” Mike said humorously. “If you were straight, then I’m the Queen of England”.

Jared put his hands on his hips indignantly.

Brad giggled as he finished making up his cup of coffee. “We rest our case.  But we still love you either way!”.

The intercom in the communal lounge beeped loudly, breaking up the friendly banter, and the executive’s voice boomed out asking for Tom to come up to his office pronto.

Tom groaned and signalled his goodbye. “Roll on the 18th!”.

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“What are you doing hon?” Chloe asked her best friend as she flopped down on the couch next to him.

Jared sighed and doodled some more notes and slogans down on the piece of paper in front of him. “Working on this advertising campaign for the Rodeo bar and Restaurant”.

Chloe looked down at the random scribbles and plays on words. “You’re doing a great job on this, I love it. Bringing Texas to the heart of California”.

“Really? Well I hope so, because my job’s on the line here!” he said.

“I still can’t believe that he is being such a douchebag about the whole thing.  It’s not like you gave away millions and millions of dollars.  And even if you did, he wouldn’t miss a single cent of it.  Besides, your giving up your own time to work on this, so I don’t understand why he’s still giving you a hard time about it” the blonde chattered away as she chewed on one of her fingernails.

Jensen had definitely seemed more pissed at him over the past week, but he had never broached the subject since, of which he was thankful for.  Nonetheless, he wasn’t going to fail on this.  If he succeeded, then it would boost his career and hopefully the working relationship with his boss to extraordinary levels. “I don’t care.  This is my break, I know that it is. I just want him to appreciate what I do for him and to give me more chances to prove myself”.

“He will.  He’ll see how great you are.  But you need a break, a chance to let your hair down, you know, since it’s almost as long as mine” Chloe teased, which earned her an evil glare. “Come on, the party’s in a week, then you’ll have a few more days in work then you’ll be flying back home to spend Christmas with your family in Texas.  You’ll forget all about him, and work….”.

Jared brought his knees up to his chest. “I don’t want to forget about him. I don’t know whether it’s because he’s my boss and I look up to him….but I really like him, despite the fact that he treats me like crap.  But that’s the thing, I know he doesn’t mean to”.

Chloe hugged her best friend and when she pulled away she smiled. “I’ve got a present for you.  Call it an early Christmas present” she said leaping off the couch and kneeling down underneath the Christmas tree to hunt for the present in mind.  Once she’d located it, by feel, she passed it to Jared.

“Chlo….” Jared protested.

“Just open it! I bought it for you to wear at the party on Friday.  You’ll need to try it on for size to make sure it fits.  I had your size perfectly, but now you’ve been working out and pounding the gym, God only knows if this is going fit.  I went the next size up, just in case” the blond said.

“Okay” Jared said as he took the present and slowly tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a checked Western-style shirt with a bolo tie laid out neatly on top of it. “Chloe….this is…it’s great….thank you…” he said ecstatically as he unbuttoned his shirt, threw it down on the couch and put on his new one.

Chloe tied up the bolo tie around his neck. “There you go.  Fit’s just perfect“ she said adjusting the collar.

Jared gave his friend a hug. “Thank you.  You’re the best, you know?”.

A cell phone beeped in the corner of the room and Jared leapt for it, intercepting the blonde’s phone.

“Hey, give it here!” Chloe shouted.

“Aw, it’s from Jimmy” Jared said as he pretended to open the message and read it out.  He lifted it up higher so the petite blonde couldn’t see. “He’s asking what you’re wearing?”.

Chloe jumped up onto the couch to try and reach her phone. “No it does not. Give it here….”.

Jared started tapping some buttons in pretence of replying. “I’m just wearing a smile and some knee high boots….kiss, kiss, kiss…”.

“Don’t you even think about. Don’t you dare….” the blonde squealed out as she jumped up and down and piggy backed herself up onto Jared’s back where she was tickled senseless.

“I’m only joking” Jared said a minute later when he was exhausted and had collapsed in a heap on the floor next to his room mate. “I’ve not even opened it. You know, when am I going to meet him properly?”.

Chloe blinked back at Jared as she reached her phone and held it tight in her grip.  “Uh…..next year? I really like him…don’t want you scaring him away….”.

“What? Would I?” Jared asked indignantly.

The blonde propped herself up on her elbows. “Uh, remember David? You scared the living crap out of him!”.

Jared smiled smugly.  “Because I saw right through him, knew what he was really like!”.

“Just like with Patrick?” Chloe asked amusedly.

“That’s different.  My love for him must have clouded my judgement or something.  But you’re the best Chlo and you deserve the best.  I don’t want to see you being messed around again”.

Chloe took her friend’s hand and held it tight. “Right back atcha. So seriously, don’t take any more crap from that man, okay?” she said patting his hand tentatively.

“I’ll be fine, things will work out.  But thanks for looking out for me” Jared said sadly. “I’m just happy that you’re happy”.

“How about after Christmas?” Chloe asked.

Jared looked confused. “For what?”.

 “We’ll make a nice dinner just after New Year and you can meet him properly. You can meet Jimmy, you know check him out, make sure he lives up to your expectations” Chloe smirked.

“I’d like that” Jared said as he stretched out his legs.

Chloe smiled and sighed contently. “Thanks Jay” she said as she laid her head to rest on his chest.

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Everyone in the office had got with on with their daily tasks and meticulously, and the day of the Christmas party had finally arrived, which meant that everyone was super psyched and excitable.

The guys were in the communal lounge, on their lunch break, messing around after Jensen had been barking orders at them all morning, in his haste to get everything all wrapped up before the Christmas holidays.

“Look what I found on eBay!” Mike said as he passed around some plastic cowboy hats. “If it’s a Western style Texan bar, then we’ve got to go all out on the authenticity” he said as he put a hat on his head and threw one over to Brad, Tom and then Jared.

“You all ready to party?” Tom asked as he tried to put on his best southern accent.

“Actually it’s y’all” Jared said as he put the hat on his head and hooked his fingers on one of the loops on his belt.

They all laughed at the assistant as he started to goof around.  It was some welcomed relief from the tension that their boss had inflicted on them over the past few days.  Their guffaws of laughter died down when they heard the approach of familiar footsteps echoing up the corridor.  All four men quickly removed the hats from their heads.

Jensen entered the room and slammed down a piece of paper on the middle of the table. “I’ve just received the figures on my desk this morning.  Thought you should all see them” he said straight faced, not giving anything away on his facial features.

Brad cautiously peered over to take a look.  Just as he sighed with relief at seeing positive numbers, their boss spoke up again, this time more animatedly.

“Well done guys.  You’ve all worked hard this month.  I hope your bonuses reflect that” Jensen said as he laid down envelopes addressed to everyone in the room. “I’ve sent the girls from upstairs home early so they can get ready for tonight.  I was sick of listening to them talk about dresses and shoes.  So it’s only fair that you guys get to go home early too”.

Tom scoffed. “For real?”.

Jensen just looked at him in confusion.

“I’m not going to argue with that” Mike said as he grabbed his bag and his envelope. “I’ll see you all later!” he said giving a high five to each of the men apart from Jensen.

Brad and Tom quickly followed suit and headed out of the communal lounge, saying their farewells.

Jared began to gather up his own belongings, not realising that his boss was still in the room.

“Jared, just wait a minute please” the executive said in a softer, smoother voice than when he addressed the room as a whole.

“Yeah?” the younger man asked, his ears pricking up at the sound of his name.  He thought for a minute that he was going to be told that he wasn’t allowed to go home early, that he had to stay,  Was Jensen seriously still pissed about the Rodeo bar advertising?

“I had a phone call yesterday evening from the manager at the Rodeo bar.  He was impressed with their advertising campaign ideas so far and that the possibility of them signing up to us for a year after their trial period ends was very likely indeed provided that the execution of it and the results are just as good” Jensen said, keeping his stance professional despite being out of the confines of his office.

The assistant cringed, remembering how he had spoken with the manager a few days ago and pitched some possible ideas, all behind his boss’s back.  But Jensen had reminded him time and time again that he was on his own on this and that he wanted nothing to do with it, despite it being under the umbrella of his name.  His shame turned to relief, knowing that his first bit of feedback was positive so far. Hedging his bets he just shrugged his shoulders and muttered “Okay”.

Jensen paced around the room, putting his hands in his pockets and then pulling them out. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been more supportive of this.  I should have realised the potential of this opportunity.  He forwarded me the e-mail that you sent him and I’ve read through the stuff and looked at the images. It’s good.  Great, in fact”.

Jared smiled at the praise- something that he rarely received so he was going relinquish in the moment and savour it. “Thank you….but…I thought that you were washing your hands of it, wanted nothing to do with the whole thing…”.

“I don’t.  I mean I didn’t. I mean…you’re more than capable of handling this yourself, and I’m happy to let you take the reigns.  I’m also willing for you to use any of the resources here, the commercial girls upstairs and the guys in graphic design to help with the posters, banners and flyers.  Not that you need my help or theirs…” Jensen added.  It was hard for him to swallow his pride and apologise but he couldn’t leave it hanging between them.

“Thank you.  But I’d really like your feedback on it.  I value your opinion and any knowledge and assistance that you’ll give me…” Jared said. “I mean….if your offering that is…”.

The executive nodded his head solemnly. “Of course, anytime, you know where my office is. I like the play on words with the whole bringing Texas into the heart of California”.

Jared unashamedly cringed again. “Yeah…I kind of stole that idea from you…”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulder in confusion. “But I’ve not had anything to do with this so far…I’ve not been involved…”.

“In San Diego.  You said about staying on the ranch in Dallas with your grandparents.  It’s obviously got a special place in your heart.  That’s why I went with this theme for the party…and to show you my appreciation…..and that I don’t think that you’re a jackass, not all of the time anyway…” the young assistant said quietly as he realised the building tension between them.  But this was different to the tension that had surrounded them the past few days.  This was tension of a whole different kind.

Jensen’s face softened and the harsh lines on his wrinkled up forehead smoothed out, making him look younger.  He looked down at the cowboy hat and then back up at his assistant.  He tried to hide his smirk. “Nice hat.  I take it that you’ll be wearing it tonight?”.  He strode out of the room casually, before his assistant had a chance to reply.

Jared laughed.  Today wasn’t so bad after all, despite the cold and frosty welcome he had received this morning.  And the night hadn’t even begun yet.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After several changes of outfits, Jared finally managed to drag Chloe out of their apartment, arriving just as the party had begun.  Everyone introduced each other to their partners, husbands and wives.

Jared was impressed at how well his male and female colleagues scrubbed up.  The women all had on beautiful dresses and immaculate hair and make-up, obviously having used the whole of the afternoon off to get ready.

As yet, there was no sign of his boss, which caused a slight pang of disappointment  in the pit of his stomach, which he tried not to show.

Everyone in the room started to disperse and mingle with each other, the girls sticking together and the boys, in their own little groups, finding common ground to talk about as the alcohol started to flow.

Chloe was more than comfortable in these types of social situations and was chatting away happily to the wives of some of the male colleagues.  Once Jared was satisfied that she was okay,  he then met up with his crowd of work colleagues all dressed in checked shirts, jeans, cowboy boots and hats, taking on the Western style theme more than the fact that it was a Christmas office party.

Mike tapped Jared on the back as soon as he got close. The music was playing quite loudly so he had to shout. “This is awesome.  I just hope that they bring out the buffet soon ‘cos I’m famished!  There’s a plate full of ribs with BBQ sauce, with my name on”.

Jared took a swig from his beer, as he casually glanced around the room, scanning the faces. “Not if I get there first.  I’ve not eaten all day and this beer is going straight to my head”. He wasn’t joking.  Chloe had forced him to share a bottle of wine with her, all before leaving their apartment.

Brad laughed. “So who’s up first then on the bucking bronco?”.

A shrill shout the other end of the room, cut through the music. “Jay! Come on, let’s give this a try. I got you another beer!”. The blonde was barefoot, on the vicinity around the bucking bronco, hitching her dress up an inch so she could get on and straddle the bronco.

Cringing, Jared laughed. “Have I introduced you to Chloe yet?”.

The group of men all quirked an eyebrow towards the petite blond.  A small group had gathered as they watched Chloe get on the bronco, and watched it start up, slowly at first, then more harsh, fast, uncontrolled movements as she screamed relentlessly, clinging onto the bull before it threw her off violently, making her laugh and giggle.

“Here” Jared said as he went up to her and held out her hand to help her off the wobbly platform. “You okay?”.

Chloe was still laughing uncontrollably. “Yeah, that was so much fun.  Your turn next!”.

“I don’t think so” Jared said shaking his head. “Maybe when I’ve had a few more beers.  I’m too sober to make a fool out of myself right now”.

Chloe finally stood on firm ground and she put her shoes back on and stood back up straight. “Get drinking then” she said forcing a full bottle of beer in his hands and replacing it with the empty one. Re-joining the group of girls, she grabbed one of the women in charge of commercial production. “Come on Lois, your turn!”.

The slim brunette giggled nervously, but took a swig from her wine glass and handed it over to one of her colleagues to hold. “Okay. Let’s give this baby a go….”.

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Jensen had changed the side parting in his hair and used less products in it, making it more casual and less corporate.  He’d also skipped the braces and swapped the suit for a smart pair of black jeans and dress shirt, omitting a formal jacket altogether in favour of a casual one.  He had also used his best aftershave too.  By the time he’d arrived at the party, he’d already had a few glasses of whiskey to kick-start the evening.  Nervously, he moved through the crowd and exchanged some pleasantries with his employees, who were obviously a lot more intoxicated than himself.  Spotting his assistant at the back of the room by the buffet, which had just been brought out, he grabbed a plate and started at the opposite end of the table.  His insecurities weren’t helped by the fact that everyone was all immersed in having a great time and the party was in full swing.

He was grateful that the venue hadn’t gone overboard with the Christmas decorations, opting for a couple of small Christmas trees, tinsel, fairy lights and some mistletoe dangling from the ceiling over the dance floor.

Taking some spicy wings and BBQ ribs he drizzled ranch sauce over his side salad and picked up a handful of napkins and a fork.  There wasn’t going to be any easy way to eat these without making a mess.  The bartender brought over a large Jack D and coke for him and he slipped the young women a couple of dollar notes.

Jared was gnawing his way through his pile of ribs, dribbling BBQ sauce down his chin and coating his fingers with the sticky marinade when he saw his boss fast approaching them.  Frantically, he reached for his napkin and tried his best to lick his fingers and wipe his face clean. “Hey…”.

Jensen took a sip from his glass and put it down on the bar table. “Looks like things have started without me…”.

“Yeah.  I didn’t think that you’d turn up….” Jared said as he fought to finish his mouthful of food.

“I had a few things that I needed to finish up first” Jensen said as he tried to discreetly eye up his assistant.  He totally rocked the cowboy look and hadn’t skimped on the details.  He stabbed at some lettuce with his fork and shoved it into his mouth as elegantly as he could as a distraction.

Jared smiled. “Well I’m glad you’re here now.  Are you going to have a go on the bucking bronco? I think I’m up next, but I’m quite tipsy right now!” he babbled on.

The executive dabbed at the corners of his mouth with the napkin and shook his head. “It’s not really my thing.  But I’ll watch the rest of you on there”.

Brad brought over a handful of beers, putting one down in front of Jared and passed another one to Jensen. “Here you go boss. Gotta keep you sweet!”.

Jensen downed the rest of his Jack D and coke and started to swig from the bottle of beer. “Thanks”. Looking around the room, he was mightily impressed with the layout and set up of the place. He was more convinced now that his assistant’s advertising campaign for them was going to work, despite his initial reservations.

Lois appeared next to them to say hi to her boss.  Even though he’d been almost unbearable to work with this week, he’d given them the afternoon off and sweetened up their bonuses so she made the effort. “You need to kiss me now…..”.

“Sorry?” Jensen asked in confusion.

“Mistletoe? It’s mandatory.  You need to kiss me” the brunette insisted as she puckered out her lips.

Jensen looked around nervously. “Uh…I don’t think that your husband would approve of that.  He’s over there, right? The one with the blonde hair, by the bar?”.

“It’s fine.  Come on, it’s a Christmas party…” Lois insisted.

“Okay…” the executive said rather hesitantly. He looked up at the mistletoe and then quickly leant in to give his employee a quick peck on the cheek before pulling away shyly.

Lois laughed. “That’s not a proper kiss, but I guess that will have to do” she said as he went running off to check on her husband.

“I’ll go get another round of beers for the other guys” Brad said as he too headed off over to the bar.

That left Jensen alone with his assistant.  The older man could sense the mistletoe hanging over them, wishing that somehow, their lips could meet, if only for a second.  Before he could open his mouth a shrill voice shouted over to them.

“Jay, come on.  You’re next! Show these guys how you really ride a bronco!” Chloe shouted over excitedly.  She hadn’t noticed that the executive had slunk in through the crowds.

Jared adjusted the hat on his head and put down his empty plate. “I guess…I better go…”.

Jensen smiled. “Yeah.  I’ll be watching…”.

“Okay” Jared said and suddenly he felt very nervous and apprehensive as he staggered over to the platform and swung his legs over.  Clinging on, the bull started to move and he fought to stay on.

The executive watched from the side lines. Jared’s thighs clenched tight as the bronco was trying to throw him off.  He noticed with glee that he had boots on too.  The hat, the shirt, everything was too much for him.  He drained the bottle of beer and reached for another one as he started to munch on his chicken wings.

After another minute, Jared’s strength couldn’t match the intensity and speed of the bull and he was thrown off, landing in a heap and being picked up by Chloe, both in fits of giggles.

“You were awesome. Now come and dance” Chloe shouted.  She then stopped and went up on her tip toes to speak softly in his ear. “Mr Ackles is watching you like a hawk”.

Jared looked across the crowded room and saw his boss’ gaze in his direction. He smiled and gave a thumbs up and then cringing at how child-like that gesture was.

Jensen smiled and nodded back.

“Come on, let’s see you strut your moves” the blonde said to her friend.

“I’m waaayyy tooo drunk for this” Jared said as he slurred his words, adding the effect to it.

Chloe tugged on his sleeve and reached up for his hat, putting it on her own head. “All the more reason.  You’re going to ask Jensen to dance with you”.

“No.  No I’m not” the young assistant said as he shook his head stubbornly. “Why would he dance with me? Plus he’s my boss, it would be more than inappropriate”.

“Fine…..” Chloe said as she strode over to the executive who was by the bar getting a shot of scotch.

Jared gasped. “Oh no, not again, please Chloe” he said catching up to her and pulling her back.

Chloe just pushed Jared a little in the right direction and in his drunken state he wobbled over and nearly collided into his boss.

“I’m sorry” Jared squeaked apologetically.

Jensen felt the second of contact between them and almost moaned when his assistant stepped away. He could see the sheepish look on Chloe’s face as she tried to act non-chalant. “Chloe, right?” he said pointing a finger at the blonde.

“Yeah” the blonde giggled back as she moved around on the spot, swaying to the beat.

“I trust that the punch is going down well?” Jensen said with a slight smirk on his face.

Jared turned around to face his best friend and gave her a pleading look not to answer the question.

“Yep.  You should really try it!” she answered back, putting the hat back on Jared’s head, before strutting away to dance with the girls.

“Do you wanna dance?” Jared spurted out before he had a chance to think about what he was saying.  Wow. He was a lot more drunk than he realised.

Jensen was taken by utter surprise. “Uh…I don’t…I don’t dance”.

Jared tried not to sound too disappointed. This was it, he was going for it.  And if it failed and he made a fool of himself then he could just blame the alcohol and feign innocence and temporary amnesia.  Plus, everyone else, including Jensen had had a fair amount to drink. “It’s tradition that the boss has to dance with his employees”.

“Not for me” the executive said simply.

“Come on.  One dance.  This is a party” the assistant insisted.

The executive’s eyes narrowed for a second as he seemed to ponder it.  He chugged down the glass of scotch and took a few steps forward.  The alcohol was starting to catch up with him by now.  He held up one finger. “Fine. One dance”.

Jared smiled as his perseverance paid off.  He started to dance wildly to the upbeat tempo of the music and moved to the centre of the dance floor.

Jensen followed his assistant and self-consciously moved through the crowd of his employees.  He figured that they were all too drunk to notice or care if he made a fool out of himself on the dance floor.  He just swayed his hips from side to side not really knowing what to do.

“Like this!” Jared shouted as he prompted his boss to mimic his movements.  He very gently put one of his hands just above Jensen’s right hip and grabbed his hand to hold onto his own hip and encouraged them to dance together.

The touch should have been awkward and uncomfortable for Jensen but it was far from it. None of the other people seemed to notice as they were all immersed in their own enjoyment.  He wasn’t quite sure where to look, so his eyes kept straying.

The fast song ended after about 20 seconds and a slow, ballad started up.  Jensen released his grip quickly and turned away in embarrassment, heading back over to the bar to seek solace in another glass of scotch.

Chloe grabbed her best friend from behind. “Aw..I love this song, come and dance with me”.

Jared was still reeling from the their 20 seconds of intimacy and the sudden separation. He didn‘t have much time to ponder that, as something else called for his attention. “I’ll be back in a minute Chlo.  All that beer has gone right through me, need to pee”.

“Okay” the blonde said as she mingled back in and found another stray partner to dance with.

Jensen watched his assistant brush past through the crowds and rush off towards the restrooms.  After leaving it 30 seconds or so, he decided to follow.  When he reached the bathroom he checked the stalls and to his satisfaction found that they were all empty.  He found Jared in the corner, finishing off by one of the urinals.

Jared was just zipping up and contemplating his next move when he spotted Jensen by the wash basins, leaning back against the wall casually.

“I just wanted to say that you’ve done a great job on organising tonight.  This place is great and I want to re-iterate my support in helping you out with the advertising campaign” the executive said as he turned on the tap for his assistant.

“Thanks” Jared said, unsure of how to act and not knowing where this was going.  He squirted some soap on his hands and started to rub them together to lather them under the running water.

“You also look great too” Jensen said, getting to his point.  Anyone could walk it at any second so he needed to cut to the chase.

Jared nearly banged his head on the hand drier as he stood back up abruptly in surprise of the statement from his boss. “Uh….thanks…so do you…as always”.  He could feel his cheeks heat up.

Jensen moved a couple of inches closer so that their hips were nearly touching. “How are you still single? You must surely have a boyfriend tucked away somewhere”.

“No….I don’t” the assistant said as he turned off the tap and shook them dry. “Wait..how do you know that…how do you know I’m gay?”.

 “I did some digging…” Jensen confessed, giving him a sly wink.

“Digging? How?” Jared asked, a little confused with the turn of the conversation.

Jensen bit down on his lip. “Just digging.  Come on, does it matter?” he said moving another inch closer until their bodies were gently pressed up against each other. “I know you want this….I can feel that you do….”.

Jared blushed as he realised that his body was betraying him, but the touch was almost unbearable, the want, the need.  He basked and inhaled the other man’s expensive aftershave, which was enticing and drawing him in. He threw his arms around Jensen’s neck and backed him up against the wall and slammed his lips into his.

The kiss was electrifying as their lips collided and their tongues fought for dominance, desperate, and eager to explore.  It was exciting and new. Jensen’s lips were soft and full, whilst Jared’s were warm and moist.  Parts of their bodies tingled with desire.  Hands started to explore, moving up and down, trying to find flesh to grab on to, new territory to seek.  Both moaned softly at how good it felt, how right it felt.

Their kiss was interrupted when the door was pushed open forcefully, breaking them apart.  They both quickly turned the taps on and pretended to wash their hands, dramatising it for authenticity.  Both of their hearts were still beating, pounding in their chests at the heightened arousal and the fact that they had so nearly been caught in the act. It felt dirty, bad, wrong, but so good.

Mike came rushing in through the door, closely followed by Tom.  They were chatting animatedly with each other.

“Hey! Look who it is!” Mike said as he put an arm around Jared. “This party rocks!”.  He then turned his attention to his boss. “Hey Mr Ackles. We love Jared. Love him! Please don’t fire him, cos he’s the best assistant ever man….”.

Jensen was still feeling the heat of the moment and wanted to continue where he left off with Jared.  He was having trouble focusing on the present conversation.  He wanted the soft flesh up against him again. “Yeah, he’s great.  He’s not going anywhere” he said, trying to wrap up the conversation.  Acting as nonchalant as possible he ran his hand over his ear casually.

Jared tried to end the conversation too and make an excuse to leave. “Thanks guys.  I’ll catch up with you later.  I’m going to check on Chloe” he said as he edged towards the door.

Tom just waved, too immersed in what he was doing. “See ya!” he sang back, unaware of anything out of the ordinary going on.

Once through the door and into the semi-private hallway, Jensen grabbed Jared’s hand and stopped him from going back out into the bar.  He checked around them to make sure that they were alone again. “Come back to mine….” he said quietly.

“Really?” Jared asked, panting, feeling his heart beat faster.

Jensen pressed his forehead to Jared’s. “I’m going to slip out the back.  Make your excuse and join me in 5 minutes, okay.  I’ll get us a taxi…”.

Jared was completely incoherent and just nodded wildly as he watched his boss straighten out his jacket and walk back into the bar area and disappear through the crowd.  Surely this was a joke? But the desire and passion between them said otherwise.  He was going to follow this through as quickly as possible before Jensen changed his mind.  Taking a deep breath in, he went off in pursuit of his best friend.  Spotting her in the middle of the dance floor, he went over and gently took her arm and lead her to the bar area where it was slightly quieter.

“Hey.  I was beginning to think that you’d flushed yourself down the toilet or something.  What took you so long?” Chloe joked.

“Uh…that’s kinda a long story…” Jared began.

Chloe wrinkled up her nose. “No wait, ew, I don’t want to know.  Maybe you need to see a doctor or something!”.

Jared shook his head impatiently.  The clock was ticking.  He had a feeling that Mr Ackles wouldn’t wait forever for him. “Nothing like that…listen, it’s on, I’m going back to Jensen’s place”.

“What? When was that decided! Details, I need details Jay.  Wow, you’ll get to check out his luxury mansion…well, you’ll be checking out more than his living arrangements I guess” the blonde said quite loudly, to be heard over the music.

Jared put a finger over her mouth. “Shhh…..keep it down, will you? It’s not fair on you for me to just leave you here though…”.

Chloe smiled. “It’s fine, more than fine. I’m having a great time and I’ve made lots of new friends. Besides, I’m not going to be the reason for you not getting laid so just go already” she insisted as she pushed him towards the exit.

“But how are you going to get home? I’m not happy about you getting a taxi by yourself” Jared said, feeling guilty but remaining over protective for his best friend.

“I’ll ring Jimmy to come and pick me up.  He’s up anyway cos I’ve already drunk dialled him several times already.  I’ll probably go back and stay in his apartment. Just go…” the blonde said persistently, giving him another push.

Jared faltered as he looked around.  People would notice that he’s disappeared, surely. “But what about…it’s too early to leave…people are going to notice….”.

“I’ll cover for you.  I’ll say you went overboard on the buffalo wings and got sick or something and had to go home to bed.  Don’t worry..” the petite blonde said, waving her hands around in the air.

“You’re the best, really” Jared said as he ruffled his friend’s hair and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Chloe could smell Jensen’s aftershave on him. “Oh my God, you sly dog Jay.  You’ve been all over him. You reek of sex, get outta here!” she joked.  

Jared didn’t need to be told again as he took one last look around him, seeing that everyone was too busy to see him leave and he slunk outside, shivering at the cool night air.  His euphoria and excitement diminished rapidly when he realised that there was no-one waiting for him. Jensen had obviously been screwing with him for whatever reason.  Just when he was about to give up and go back inside with his tail between his legs, the door to the taxi that was parked just a few foot away from him opened up and the executive stepped out, holding up a bottle of champagne.

Jensen had taken his jacket off and had undone the first two buttons on his shirt. “Are you coming or what? I managed to swipe this from behind the bar!”.

If it were at all possible, that sight alone made Jared’s heart stop for just a few seconds. Smacking his lips together, he walked over to his boss and stumbled almost head first into the backseat of the cab, dragging him with him.

“I should really start carrying corkscrews with me!” the executive said as he battled to open the bottle of champagne once they’d closed the doors and buckled up.

“Let me try. You don’t need a corkscrew” the young assistant said as he took the bottle and worked his magic using the metal bit on the door of the cab, slicing through the corkscrew and popping it right off.  As the bubbles started to flow from the top he put it in his mouth and started swigging from the bottle before passing it to Jensen who did the same.

Jensen laughed. “Seriously, the best damn assistant ever.  Like I’ve asked before, is there anything that you can’t do?”.

Jared took the half empty bottle of champagne and put it in one of the pockets behind the passenger seat.  He sidled up to his boss and wrapped his legs around him. “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?”. He experimentally pressed his mouth against the other man’s again, initiating their second kiss between them, knowing that this time, they were less likely to be interrupted.

The executive wrapped his arm’s around his assistant and moaned delightfully as he felt Jared’s arms move down to the buckle on his belt and hover over it teasingly.

Pulling away, Jared leant forward to speak to the driver. “How long until our destination”.

The cab driver, who was trying to turn a blind eye to the shenanigans happening in the backseat, looked into the mirror. “10-15 minutes?”.

“I’ll pay you double what I owe if you get us there in half the time!” Jensen promised as he turned his attention back to the man that was still straddling his legs.  He was the one that was used to be in control, and now having someone else take the control was highly arousing.

When they pulled up to the entrance of the apartment building just 7 minutes later, Jensen threw down a handful of ten dollar bills and told the driver to keep the change.  He wanted to get them inside and into the bedroom before either of them had a chance to change their minds.

When they were through the front door Jared took a moment to take in the massive open plan lounge and kitchen.  The TV alone was about the size of his kitchen.  The leather couches looked brand new and there was no expense spared with the kitchen fittings- granite work surfaces and marble floor.  In the middle of the living area was a massive fur rug that complemented the colour scheme.  It was the epitomy of a rich man’s bachelor pad.  The view over San Francisco was incredible and breath taking.  Again he noticed the lack of personal touches, no pictures, only landscape paintings.  The Christmas tree was elegantly decorated but kept as minimal as possible.  He noticed a cat curled up asleep on a bean bag next to a reclining chair, which he assumed to be Jensen’s seat of choice. Distracted by the amazing apartment, incredulous at how the other half live, he didn’t realise at first when Jensen grabbed him by his belt loops and began to unbutton his shirt.

“I want you to fuck me, okay? Please, need you in me. Show me how you can take control” Jensen ordered, his tone of voice determined and demanding.

Jared put his hands up against Jensen’s chest and pushed him towards where he reckoned the bedroom would be.  

They both started undressing each other ferociously, hands fumbling around on buttons and zips, leaving a trail of clothes from the lounge into the bedroom until they were both stripped down in their boxers, landing on the bed clumsily.

The assistant didn’t have time to take in the expanse and size of the bed and how incredible the mattress was.  He was distracted by the man underneath him.  His physique, his tanned, toned skin, his freckles.  How hadn’t he noticed the freckles like this before?  He couldn’t get enough of the full, pink, kissable lips.

Jensen moaned as Jared started a trail of kisses from his mouth, down his stomach and down to the sensitive part near his groin.  His head reached out blindly to the top drawer of his nightstand and he pulled out some lube and a condom.  His hips bucked up automatically as Jared fought to his boxers off “Jared….”.

“Jensen…” Jared said back, loving the sound of his name rolling off his tongue in the heat of the moment.

“Best damn assistant ever…” the executive said as he relaxed back into the mattress.

“Shut up Mr Ackles.  I’m boss now…..” Jared purred back as he prepped them and tore open the condom packet with his teeth.

The executive didn’t argue with that statement.

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N:  
Okay, so by popular demand I wrote porn! GAH! I’m sorry that it turned out more porny that I first intended, but those damn boys kidnapped my bunnies and let them take control ;-p.  DO NOT READ if you don’t want to or if you get squicked by SubDom in any way.  You can skip this and it won’t affect the storyline, promise. Just scroll down to the *END OF PORN PART*

*PORN WARNING*

“I’m boss now” Jared said as he put the cowboy hat back onto his head.

And the executive didn’t argue with that statement.

“I’m going to take control, okay? Not going to boss me about anymore!” the assistant said as he positioned himself on top of his boss.

Jensen moaned and his hands clung onto the railings on the back of his bed as Jared started biting softly into his flesh. “Boss me around all you want”.

Jared moaned and then growled softly as he brought Jensen’s knees up and straddled his own legs around them, rocking him up into him. “So beautiful….” he purred.

Bucking his hips up at the tender touch from his assistant Jensen bit down on his lips and gasped, feeling short of air, like Jared was sucking the breath from his body. It was then he felt those amazing lips around his length, gently sucking and licking and working their way up and down his shaft which was getting heavy with his burgeoning arousal. “More, more….” he begged.  He needed more touch, more contact.  Just more from Jared.  He wanted to feel the whole of him wrapped around him, and inside of him.

Jared took hold of his boss’ arms and pinned them down onto the bed. “I say when and how Mr Ackles…”.

“You should….really start….calling me Jensen” the executive said as he moaned again as he felt Jared’s mouth around him, all hot and moist and delicious.  Just when he thought the teasing was over, Jared upped his game.

“Jensen it isss…” Jared purred back as he put the hat on Jensen’s head. “My beautiful Texan cowboy…”.

Jensen adjusted the hat on his head. “I want you to ride me like you did with the bronco.  Grasping on with those magnificent thighs of yours.  Want to feel them around me” he said as his hands went out to caress the inner turgid thighs of his younger assistant.

Jared pulled his boss into him, even closer and tightened the grip between his thighs. “You got it…”.  He prepped Jensen and slid the condom onto his hard, aching member.

Jensen screamed out and dug his fingers into the arch of his assistant’s back as he felt Jared enter him, slowly and teasingly at first and then full throttle.  The thickness, the fullness, it was all too much but yet he wanted more.  It was sending him over the edge.  His orgasm was imminent and careening towards him, unstoppable, just like wild horses breaking free.  He was no longer in control of his own body- Jared was. “More….”.

The younger man started up some carefully placed kisses onto his boss’ chest, working their way up to the sensitive grooves in his collar bones until they landed on his face, on his mouth.  Inside his mouth, gently biting down on his lips and grating their teeth together until they were breathing as one. “How does it feel to give up control and let someone else take care of things….”.

“A…may…zing” Jensen gasped out as he fought for dominance with his lungs.  Jared was quite literally taking his breath away. “I’m going to…ah….”.

Jared put a finger on his boss’s mouth. “No, not yet….not until I say, okay?” he said as he pinched the end of Jensen’s cock which was full, heavy and leaky pre-come to stave off the impending orgasm.  He wanted him to hold on just a little longer.

“Please….” Jensen pleaded as he ran his fingers through his own sweaty hair.

Smiling at how needy and desperate his boss was at his mercy, Jared smiled maliciously. “Do you know how gorgeous you look right now at my will..?”.

Jensen bucked up his hips, eager for more friction between them.  He moaned, needy and hungry. “Jared…”.

Jared pushed into his boss more forcefully, thrusting in and out, building up speed until his own orgasm was in reach. “Okay…you can come now…” he said as he started to climax himself.

The executive screamed loudly as his orgasm rippled through his body suddenly sending tingles through his exhausted and now satisfied body. Gasping, he tilted his head back and buried it into the pillow as he felt Jared finish off and roll off him in a sated heap next to him. “Thank you…”.

“I think this officially changes things between us now, don’t you think?” Jared asked when he’d discarded the condom and threw it down onto the floor.  He pulled the silk sheets up over them and kissed the older executive on the lips.

Jensen licked his lips and smiled, propping himself up on his elbows. “Yeah…” he said as he flopped back down tiredly. After the blissful release, the alcohol was now causing a sedative effect.  He looked over to see that Jared’s eyes were closing.  Smiling, he let the exhaustion take him.

*END OF PORN*

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The first thing that Jared noticed when he woke, was that he wasn’t in his own bed.  The sheets were silky and smelt so much better than his cheap grocery store detergent.  The mattress was moulded into the shape of his back.  Opening his eyes fully he took in his surroundings.  Groaning as the sun streamed in through the windows and hurt his eyes and delicate head he turned over in bed to find that his boss was lying next to him, still sleeping peacefully and quietly.  The silk sheets were covering from his waist down.

Jared looked down at himself from under the sheets and realised that he was completely naked.  Counting two pairs of boxer shorts on the floor, it was highly likely that Jensen was too.

That could only mean one thing. They’d had sex.

Blurry flashbacks came to him.  He remembered being in the bar, then a brief moment in the cab, and some images of their intimate encounter.

The assistant needed to make a move, right now, before his boss woke up.  It was going to be awkward enough facing him on Monday morning, so he didn’t need to make things more uncomfortable.

Swinging his legs round, he got to his feet, wobbling unsteadily, feeling the after effects of the alcohol binge.  He must have been completely wasted.  Finding his boxers at the end of the bed, he quickly put them on, covering up some of his modesty at least.  One sock was dangling on top of the plasma screen television, and the other one was in the doorway.  Walking out of the bedroom, he followed the trail of discarded clothes and found his jeans and shirt in the lounge.  His shoes were lying by the front door.

After dressing himself, he quickly peered into the bedroom again, just to clarify that he wasn’t dreaming and that the executive was still sound asleep.  Jensen had turned over in bed slightly, and his arm was wrapped around the pillow.  He looked so peaceful and despite the bed head look, effortlessly gorgeous.

Jared’s stomach gurgled, reminding him that his hangover was only going to get a lot worse.  There was no way he was going to throw up in the millionaire’s bathroom, or God forbid, on any of the upholstery.  Staggering over to the sink, he poured himself a glass of water and forced himself to drink it down to ease his parched, dry mouth and hopefully help to re-hydrate himself and dull the thumping pain in his head.

Something soft rubbed up against his leg and he heard soft purring.  Looking down, he saw a tabby cat greet him lovingly.  Stepping back from the sink, he nearly tripped over her causing her to miow loudly.

“Sshhhh kitty. Please…” Jared said as he bent down to smooth her to placate her.

Before anymore disasters could occur, he slipped out of the front door as quietly and as inconspicuous as possible.

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Jensen could feel the morning winter sun raining down on his face.  He felt sated and happy as he opened his eyes.  His head was pounding and his mouth, impossibly dry.  Rolling over he saw that the pillows and bed covers the other side of the bed were crumpled and creased, meaning that someone had slept next to him last night, up until not so long ago, as it was still warm.  Then he remembered the office Christmas party last night and making a move on his assistant.  He recalled how Jared pounded in and out of him. Peering across the hall to the bathroom, he found that it was empty.  There was definitely no-one in the lounge or kitchen either because he couldn’t hear any sounds to indicate that.  Jared had obviously left.  Left his bed, left his apartment.  Probably realised what a massive mistake he’d made.

Jensen didn’t feel that way though.  It had felt truly amazing, made him feel wanted and needed.

People always left him.  No-one ever to wake up with in the mornings. And now Jared was no exception to the rule.

Lucy jumped up on the bed, breaking him out of his thoughts and recollections of last night.

“Hey Lucy Lou. Good morning” he said, smoothing the cat under her chin, causing her to purr louder. “You’ll never leave me, right?”.

The cat snuggled up next to her owner and closed her eyes to go to sleep.  Jensen lay back down and pulled the pillow that Jared had slept on closer into him, inhaling the faint smell of aftershave of his assistant, trying to prolong the moment for longer.

The used condom on the floor caught his attention.  Well at least they still had enough sense to use protection despite how inebriated they were so he needn’t have to worry there.

With nothing left to do, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

 

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It was gone 10am when Jared slowly and quietly tip-toed into his apartment.  He was hoping to sneak into his own bed before Chloe saw him.  But he had no such luck.

The blonde was sitting on the couch with a steaming mug of coffee in her hands and dressed in her old bath robe. “Walk of shame, eh?”.

Jared cringed and gave up on his act, dropping down into one of the chairs opposite the couch. “Caught in the act…”.

Chloe slammed down her mug of coffee on the coffee table a bit too hard, causing them both to wince at the sudden noise. “So? What happened last night then? I want details! I’ve been trying to ring you, to see when you’d make an appearance”.

“Crap, I really don’t remember Chlo” Jared admitted as he rifled through his pockets to find his cell. “Fuck, I don’t even know where my cell phone is.  I must have left it there…”.

“So you did go back to his then?” the blonde said with a big smile on her face.

“Yeah, I woke up there this morning anyway” Jared said as he tried to stifle a yawn. “What time did I leave?”.

Chloe shook her head, but then regretted the sudden movement. “I’ll be damned if I know! I was just as wasted. I know that Jimmy brought me home and now I have a major bad head!”.

Jared laughed quietly. “Ditto”.

“So was it awkward this morning then? The whole morning-after-the-night-before?” the blonde pursued. “Did you make him breakfast in bed, or did he get his servant to bring you something?”.

Cringing, Jared shifted on the chair, uncomfortably. “No…I left before he woke up.  Wanted to make it easier on us, to avoid all that embarrassment. God, I’m dreading Monday morning. What are the chances that he’s not going to remember anything? I’m screwed”.

“I thought you wanted this to happen?” Chloe asked.

“I did.  I mean, I do.  Just not like this.  But I’ve got to be realistic here, I’m just his assistant and he’s some multi millionaire entrepeneur.  I’ve got no chance!” Jared said as he sighed remorsefully.

Chloe went over to comfort her best friend. “Hey, don’t put yourself down here.  There’s so much more that you can offer him Jay.  There’s no reason why he can’t be yours.  Even though the guy’s a douche. What was his place like then, if you can remember that?!”.

Jared punched his friend in the arm playfully. “I’ve just had a drunken one-night stand with my boss and my ass is probably toast Monday morning and you want to know about his living quarters and how big his kitchen is?”.

The blonde just shrugged her shoulders. “How the hell did you get home then?”.

“I walked back.  Took me a few minutes to figure out where I was, but then I found my bearings.  It’s one of the new luxury city view apartments about 8 blocks from here” Jared started to say.

“Wow! Mr Ackles really knows how to live. What was it like inside? Themes, soft furnishings, that sort of thing” the blonde fished.  When Jared raised an eyebrow questioningly she just shrugged. “What? I’m curious to know how the other half live!”.

“It was just a very nice, very expensive apartment. Oh yeah and the bed was to die for.  I’ve got to invest in some silk sheets” Jared said amusedly.

Chloe huffed. “That’s all you’ve got? That’s all the details you’re going to give me?”.

Jared shook his head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, I’ll take pictures next time, shall I?”.

“Next time?” the petite blond asked suggestively.

“You know what I mean” Jared replied with a yawn as he reached for the blanket that was draped over the arm of the chair. “Depending on how Monday morning goes, I may be staying in Texas indefinitely when I fly back on Wednesday evening. God, I feel like crap….”.

“NO, you have to come back. I’ll miss you” Chloe said pouting.

“Of course I’ll be back. I love my parents, but spending Christmas and New Year with them is going to be taxing enough and I’ll be more than ready to return back here. Plus, you’re going to your parents too, so you won’t have a chance to miss me” the brunette said rationally.

Chloe sighed as she sat down on the chair, squeezing in next to her friend. “How about we have a day on the couch.  Catch up on some old re-runs of F.R.I.E.N.D.S?  Order in something greasy and deep fried for lunch….late lunch” she amended as the thought of food right now turned her stomach. She snuggled up to Jared before pulling away. “After you’ve had a shower. You really do stink of sex!”.

Jared laughed whole-heartedly. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.  You get the DVD’s set up and I’ll be out in 10 minutes” he said getting to his feet and heading towards the bathroom.

“Okay, just don’t use all of the hot water!” Chloe shouted back. “We’re not made of money, unlike someone that you know!”.

 

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Monday morning came around far too quickly, and Jared was stood outside the executive’s office, holding his morning coffee and muffin.  He was trying to prolong the inevitable and linger for as long as he possibly could.  But it appeared that his boss had impeccable instincts and a sixth sense.

“You’re late.  Get in here now!” Jensen barked from inside his office.

Jared  winced and loitered for a few more seconds but knowing that he couldn’t hide for any longer and had to face the music, he began his slow walk into the depths of the office.  He tried to avoid eye contact with the older man, knowing that the last time he saw him, he was sprawled out next to him in bed, naked. His hands were shaking when he carefully placed down the plastic cup and the bag with the muffin in down onto the desk, all the while trying to avoid his gaze.

Jensen was torn between anger and lust at the younger man.  Anger that he had left without any explanation after their night of intimacy.  But he couldn’t just turn his feelings off of how he felt about the younger man. “Here’s all that I need you to do today” he said, in his professional tone of voice as he handed over a piece of paper.

“Uh…I thought that maybe I could work on the advertising campaign.  I’d really appreciate your input and want to show you what I’ve got so far” the assistant said as he finally forced himself to look his boss in the eye.

Jensen slammed his fist down on his desk. “I’m busy and you have enough to get through before the holidays and you‘ve only got another 4 days in which to do it in”.

Jared was taken back by the abruptness and sudden change of tone.  He’d expected some backlash, but not like this. “Oh…but you said earlier that-”

“Yeah, well people change their minds” Jensen said distractedly as he avoided anymore eye contact and busied himself in paperwork.

“And I’m flying back home Wednesday evening.  I told you that when I booked my flights a couple of weeks ago” the assistant said standing his ground.

“You’d better cancel it then, hadn’t you?” the older man said harshly. “Circumstances change”.

Jared scoffed. “No, I’m not cancelling it.  I’ll get these done for you and on your desk by the end of Wednesday.  Can I at least book the studio to get the commercials recorded?”.

Jensen’s face was like thunder. “No. It’s all booked up for the foreseeable future”.

“Okay, fine. Is this about Friday night? Are we at least going to talk about this?” the young assistant asked diplomatically.

“What’s there to talk about?” Jensen said as he tapped some keys on his laptop, exaggerating his movements. “We had sex, and you left and ran away.  There’s nothing more to say.  I think that you’ve made yourself clear on that.  End of story.  Now please leave, I‘m really busy….”.

Jared didn’t know what else to say, without making the situation any worse, or rectifying it, so he turned on his heels and began to walk away.

“Wait” Jensen’s voice shouted back.

“Yeah?” Jared asked, turning back around, hopeful for a change of tune.

Jensen threw down a cell phone on his desk. “I believe this is yours.  Take it and leave. I’m not going to be here tomorrow, and I don’t want to see you until all those errands have been completed.  You have until Wednesday afternoon”.

Jared nodded his head solemnly in defeat as he scooped up his cell phone and carried on walking until he had reached the hallway and was well clear of his boss’ office.

Once the younger man had left, Jensen sighed remorsefully and leant back in his chair, fighting the urge to hold back tears.

 

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Jared was busy going through his list of errands.  He was going to start with the ones that kept him in the office for the day and then move onto the out-of-office stuff tomorrow.  Sitting in the coffee room, he reflected on the conversation that took place between him and his boss just a couple of hours ago.  Why was Jensen so pissed that he had left? He quickly plastered on a fake smile when he heard the hustle and bustle of his colleagues coming down the corridor.

Mike and Tom were joined by Lois.

“Hey buddy! You alive?” Mike asked jokingly.

“Ha.  Just about” Jared said, bending the truth slightly.

Tom gave the assistant a pat on his shoulder. “How’s your gummy tummy?”.

Jared looked confused. “Huh?”.

“You left the party early on Friday night.  Chloe said you started puking after the BBQ ribs.  You must have an over-sensitive stomach or something, cos no-one else got sick” Tom said thoughtfully.

Lois perked up. “Your friend Chloe is such a great laugh.  She was so much fun.  Can you pass my number on to her please?” she said holding out her business card.

“Yeah, sure” Jared said as he took it and put it in his pocket. “I hope she didn’t pass on too many bad influences” he grinned.

“She was a hoot” Lois laughed as she filled up her empty mug with coffee and took a seat.

Mike opened up the cookie jar and put it down on the table in between them all. “It’s a shame you didn’t make it to the end Jayman, it was an awesome night.  Still paying for it today, but totally worth it”.

Jared smiled sadly. “Yeah, it was a great night”.

“Mm, come to think of it, Mr Ackles didn’t stick around for very long either? What time did he leave? Before or after you?” Mike rambled on as he nibbled on a chocolate chip cookie. “He was always a boring old fart”.

“I don’t know” Jared said, consulting his list again, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the room just in case his body language or facial expressions gave anything away. “Don’t care, just don’t talk to me about that man”.

Tom cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’ve had it in the neck too, this morning”.

“Me too…” Lois chided.

Mike raised his hand. “Me three! Something, or someone has really pissed him off.  He’s not going to be here tomorrow anyway, so we’ll be able to catch a breath there”.

Jared’s cell phone beeped in his pocket as a message from his best friend came through. “Sorry guys, I’ve got to get this.  I’ll catch up with y’all later” he said, glad of the excuse to get out of there before anyone got wind of his unusual behaviour.  He found an empty room down the hallway and rang his best friend who had texted to see how he was getting on. “Chlo, it’s worse than I thought it would be…”.

 

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Monday rolled by, making way for Tuesday.  

Jensen was stood outside the homeless shelter which he volunteered in.  He donated thousands of dollars to them every year, but also liked to go and help them out on a more personal level to see how it benefited the people, and it made him feel like he was doing a good deed.  Christmas time was especially rewarding.

Dressed down in denim jeans, t-shirt and hoodie, he made his way past the crowd of homeless people who were seeking hand-outs of blankets to get them through the winter and a hot meal to tide them along for a day or so.

As soon as he entered the soup kitchen, he was greeted by the familiar faces of some of the other volunteers, some old faces, some new.

“Hey Jensen” one of the young women called out. “You chose a great day to come and help us out.  They’re queuing outside already and it’s really brisk and cold outside this morning”.

“Okay, let’s get started then shall we? Hand me an apron and some gloves and show me to the ladel” Jensen said eagerly.

The young volunteer partnered the executive and watched with awe as he served hot soup and hot drinks to the vulnerable homeless people that came through the doors.  He was so good at interacting with them, speaking to them in a reassuring and sympathetic manner.  He seemed to be in his element helping the poor and needy.

Once all the soup had gone, Jensen went around the room to make sure that everyone was taken care of, nothing was too much trouble for him.  He handed out blankets and clothes to those who needed them, and made them feel loved for that short time at least.  He knew what it was like to be lonely at Christmas time.  But that was through his own choice, whereas the homeless people didn’t have the option of being able to choose.  He couldn’t help them all, but knowing that he was doing that little bit to help make a difference to their lives, even for a short while made it worthwhile.

Jensen almost felt guilty when he arrived back in his clean, warm apartment late in the afternoon, grateful that he was from a privileged background and able to provide a roof over his head.  Today had made him forget his own worries.  

Tomorrow, he would have to face them again.  And there was the matter that Jared would be flying home tomorrow evening, for 2 whole weeks, leaving him alone.

The lights on the Christmas tree glistened back at him.  There were no presents underneath it, nothing.

Just him, his bitterness and self-pity.

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Jared looked at his watch.  It was just gone 2pm and he needed to be in the airport in less than 2 hours for his flight home back to Texas for the holidays.  Him and Chloe had gone out for food last night and to exchange Christmas presents and say their fond farewells for 2 weeks.

He’d managed to fulfill every errand and task that Jensen had handed to him Monday morning so harshly.  He was going to have great pleasure in piling them on his desk.  In a few hours, he would be home-ward bound and all of this would be pushed to the back of his mind until after Christmas and New Year.  His suitcase was all packed and ready to go.  

That’s all he needed to do was to find his cantankerous boss to hand over the work.  Except that he was no-where to be seen.  He’d just planted all the documents on his desk and wiped his hands of them.  This was not the way that he wanted to leave things, but he had no choice now.  There was no way he was going to cancel his flight.  Jensen could go ahead and fire him for all he cared.

“I’m off guys!” Jared said as he waved goodbye to his work colleagues. “Anyone know where Mr Ackles is?”. He would have one last attempt to try and make amends.

Brad looked up from his computer magazine. “He went out for lunch. Late lunch, I believe.  To the bar and grill just a couple of blocks down…..Santa Fe’s I think”.

Jared mentally worked out the location.  He could go there on his way to the airport and still have plenty of time to spare.  Grabbing his suitcase and duffel bag, he thanked his colleagues and wished them a Happy Holiday and went on his way.

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Jensen was sat at a table by the window, watching people rush past him, doing last minute Christmas shopping probably.  

The man that had sat at the bar and stared at him for the past half an hour came over to sit down opposite him. “Hey.  Can I buy you a drink?”.

The executive held up his half-full glass of scotch. “I’m good thank you”.

“Are you sure? Looks like you could do with a top up” the man continued.

“No, I’m okay, really” Jensen replied.

The man was persistent. “How about something to eat?”.

Jensen was started to get a bit peeved. “I’ve just ordered thank you and I’d like to eat in peace”.

“I’m great company” the man said forcefully as his feet grazed Jensen’s leg.

“I think he’s already made himself clear that he wants to be left alone” a familiar voice said.

Jensen looked up to see his assistant standing behind him, suitcase in tow.  It was then he realised just how tall he was.  The persistent stranger seemed to be threatened by his height and backed off, slinking out of the chair and back over to the bar.  It was like his knight in shining armour coming to save him.

“Thanks” Jensen said. “I could have handled him myself though”.

“I know”. Jared signalled to the now empty chair. “May I?”.

The older man just nodded. “You’re all packed to go home then?” he asked, pointing to the suitcase and asking the obvious.

“Yeah.  I’m going whether you like it or not. I’m sorry but my family are expecting me and I’ve not seen them for nearly a year. I just wanted to say that I’ve done everything that you’ve asked me to and it’s on your desk.  I’m going to post those letters on my way to the airport.  Just wanted to say goodbye before I left.  I didn‘t want to leave under a dark cloud”.

Jensen sniffed and blinked back, not saying a word.

“Okay…well I guess that’s it.  You’ve obviously not got anything else to say.  Personally I don’t know what your problem is” the younger man argued.  “I did what I thought was best.  Making it easier on you…saving you the embarrassment of letting me down…”.

“What? You left me! Too ashamed to wake up next to me so you left!” Jensen said trying not to raise his voice too much to cause a scene. “I’m the one that’s hurt here….”.

Jared got to his feet. “I’m not ashamed of you, quite the opposite in fact.  I’ve seen the softer side of you and I think that’s the real you, not the bravado that you put on for everyone else. I thought you’d be ashamed of waking up next to me, and realised that you‘d made a mistake…..like you were looking for a Ferrari but ended up with an old banger.  Come on, I don’t fit into your world.  I can’t get a man like you.  You can have anyone that you want.  Why would you want me?”.

Jensen‘s heart sank at the confession from his assistant.  It wasn’t because of him, it was that Jared thought he wasn’t good enough for him and was scared of being hurt by him. “Because you’re an amazing person Jared.  No-one has ever gotten through to me like you have.  You’re….different. I’d never be ashamed of you.  I’d be more than proud to show you off to anyone.  That night meant a lot to me, we had this connection.  I wanted to wake up to you and was upset that you left and weren‘t there.  I thought you thought you’d made a massive mistake”.

“It wasn’t a mistake.  It was amazing and I have nothing but respect for you.” Jared said simply as a smile formed on his face.

Jensen smiled openly. “I’m sorry I was a jerk.  I get close to someone…..and I screw things up….I always screw things up…” he said sipping heavily on his drink to calm his nerves.

“I’m partly to blame…this time anyway” the assistant said. “I don’t want any animosity between us”.

“Neither do I.  I thought that maybe, we could catch a drink together, when you get back from Texas” the executive said with a sly grin on his face.  “Just to…see how things go, maybe?”.

“Yeah.  I’d like that” Jared answered happily. “I’ll bring you back some of my mom’s homemade salsa, extra jalepeno peppers.  You won’t be able to get that shipped over to you by mail order.  It’s an ancient Padalecki recipe that’s been passed down by generations of my family.  It’s the best I can do with bringing a bit of Texas back with me”.

“Sounds great” the executive said as his smile broadened. “E-mail me your work you’ve done for the Rodeo bar and I’ll book the recording studio for the commercials by the time you get back…”.

Jared’s eyes lit up. “What? But you said….”.

“I know, but circumstances change” Jensen said with a glint in his eye. “Have a nice holiday, give yourself a break, okay?”.

“Thank you.  You too.  You deserve a few days off” Jared said as he turned to leave before a thought struck him. “Oh yeah….you said you did some digging on me….how?”.

Jensen tried to stifle a giggle. “Facebook”.

Jared’s face fell. “Oh.  You didn’t happen to see the picture of me-”.

“Oh yeah” the executive said amusedly as he recalled it in his mind.

“That wasn’t my idea.  That was Chloe’s” Jared cringed.

“I figured as much” the older man smirked as he checked his watch. “Shouldn’t you be at the airport by now? You’ll be one of the first to board”.

“Uh, I’ve booked economy seats so I doubt it” Jared said as he looked down at his own watch.

Jensen smiled again. “I think you might find that you’ve been upgraded to first class”.

Jared’s smile matched his boss’. “Thank you”.

“No worries.  It‘s the least that I can do…” the executive said as he watched his younger assistant leave the restaurant. “See you in 2 weeks”.

“See you in 2 weeks” Jared said as he made his way to the door, smiling like a loon.

Jensen smacked his lips together and relaxed back in his chair as he watched his assistant cross the street and flag down a cab.

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	9. Chapter 9

Jared was spread out on the floor of his parents living room, laptop perched on the coffee table and papers strewn across the floor.  He had been here for a week already and had celebrated Christmas with his close family.  His mother hadn’t disappointed with the feast and had gone all out, glad to have her youngest son back for the holidays.

The New Year’s Eve party had been planned.  They were going to set fireworks off in the back garden and have a proper BBQ grill washed down with plenty of alcohol.  He was now catching up with his paperwork because he’d be forfeting New Year’s Day to a hangover and seeing his aunt and uncle.

“What’ya doing?” his older brother Jeff asked as he threw himself down on the couch causing papers to fly up in the air.

“Watch it you big oaf!” Jared said.

The older brother laughed. “Uh you can speak JT, you’re an inch taller than me”.

Jared rolled his eyes. “Whatever.  Is there a valid reason why you’re bugging me right now?”.

Jeff laughed whole heartedly as he grabbed the remote for the TV and switched it on, skipping through the channels one by one.

“Seriously dude, I’m trying to work!” Jared said as he tried to ignore the annoying sound of channel hopping with the volume up higher than was needed.

Deciding on one of the sports channels, Jeff settled down to watch a game of baseball. “Chillax man, it’s the holiday season, don’t be so antsy, you shouldn’t be working, it aint called the holiday season for nothing, you know!”.

Jared grit his teeth.  His brother hadn’t changed and was still a royal pain in the ass. Their arguments rarely turned into anything more than good humoured banter between two siblings. “Yeah, there’s stuff that I need to do.  Can you at least turn the TV down, it doesn’t need to be that loud surely!”.

“What’s the point in watching a match if you can’t hear the crowds and the cheering.  It’s part of the atmosphere” the older brother argued.

“Since when have you watched baseball anyway?” Jared asked sceptically.

Jeff turned up the volume another notch. “Uh, since now!”.

“I can’t leave the two of you alone for more than two minutes, can I?” Sherri asked as she comes into the lounge carrying a tray of coffee and freshly baked cookies.  She could hear the dispute from the kitchen and came in to intervene before it escalated.  “Jeff, stop pestering your brother, he’s working on some big campaign he’s organising when he gets back to San Fran.  Aren’t you sweetie?” she said as she put the tray down on the table and ruffled her younger son’s hair.

Jared squirmed and his brother laughed.

“I know mom, it’s not like you’ve not mentioned it like five thousand times already.  Is there anyone that you haven’t told?” Jeff said rolling his eyes and stretching his legs out along the length of the couch.

Sherri chastised him. “Where’s your manners boy.  Feet off the couch please! Can’t you watch the match on the TV in the bedroom upstairs?”.

“Nope.  I’m more than comfortable down here thank you mommy.  Ooh, homemade cookies” Jeff said grabbing one and receiving a smack from his mother for it. He crammed the cookie into his mouth. “So…when do I get to visit you in San Fran again then bro? That city is totally epic.  Oh and that chick Chloe that you live with is smoking’ hot.  She was totally into me last time!”.

Jared scoffed. “I think she actually used the words ‘sex pest’ and ‘repulsive’.  And besides, she’s all loved up anyway”.

Sherri used the opportunity to broach the subject. “So how about you then Jared? Anyone else stolen your heart? I’m glad you got rid of Patrick, he needed a good hair cut…and don’t get me started on his manners…you can do so much better..”.

“Mom, do you really wanna go there with that? When was the last time that Goldilocks here had his hair cut?” Jeff teased his brother.

Jared ignored the question and turned his attention back to his laptop, throwing a cushion at his older brother. “Shut up doofus….”.

“Okay, okay!” Sherri said breaking up the banter again. “How about we all play a game of something. Scrabble?”.

“Really, with dad cheating like his does?” Jared asked his mother dubiously. “I’m sure he makes up half the words”.

Gerry strolls into the lounge casually with his newspaper under his arm and flops down into the armchair in the corner. “What have I supposedly done now?” he laughed.

Sherri smiles at her husband. “Aw honey, they’re saying that you cheat at scrabble, I personally don’t know what they’re on about.  If you want to make up your own words, then go for it!” she said winking at him.

“Thank you dear” the older man replied with a sly grin.

Jared closed the lid of his laptop, resigning himself to the fact the he wasn’t going to get any work done right now.  He spent precious little time with his family as it was, so he was going to savour moments like this. “Okay.  You guys go and set up the board….oh and locate the dictionary so dad can‘t cheat…”.

“Cool….whilst they do that, I’ll play you one round of Guitar Hero and I’ll kick you ass at it!” Jeff said to his younger brother, setting the challenge.

Folding his arms across his chest Jared raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Aren’t you watching the game?”.

Jeff leapt up from the couch to set up the play station game and switch the channels over. “Nah, I was just messing with you. Can’t stand it, it’s sooo boring.  I just wanted to wind you up, which, by the way, is so easy to do bro…”.

Jared got up from the floor and grabbed the guitar controller and put the strap around his front. “You little swine. For that, I’m kicking your ass. You know there’s no way that you can win.  I’ve already beaten all of your high scores, you’re going down, down, down!”.

Sherri located the scrabble board and sat on the edge of the armchair and put her arm around her loving husband as she watched her beloved sons goofing around.  She wouldn’t change this scene for the world.

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Jensen had put it off until now, but the pile had gotten too big and was cluttering up his kitchen table and he wanted it back.  He started to work his way through the unopened mound of Christmas cards.  It was New Year’s Eve, maybe a tad late, but he had no intention of keeping any of them anyway, they would be going straight in the trash can.

He knew for a fact that even before opening any of the envelopes, that the vast majority of them were automated, un-personalised, computer generated cards addressed to him on behalf of the company as a whole and were from other companies and people with whom he’d had business with in the past.  

They weren’t people that cared about him, or had even known him besides from meeting and exchanging correspondences with. No doubt trying to keep him sweet and in their minds for future business.

The only hand written ones that he had received were from some of his employees, but they were just simply signed with their names, obviously too busy writing countless of other cards to other people to be able to personalise them all properly. He’d received a half decent card from his housekeeper Loretta which he put to one side.

He paused on one of them, recognising his mother’s handwritten scrawl on the front.  He was in two minds whether to open it or not.  Despite his strained relationship with his parents, they were at the end of the day the only living relatives he had left and out of respect for his grandparents he’d make the effort.  The card just said ‘To Jensen, Merry Christmas’ on it and his mother had signed her name and his father’s putting two ‘X’s’ on the end.  It was something he figured.  The postal stamp on the front of the envelope was from Chamonix, France.  They were obviously staying in their chalet in the French Alps right now enjoying the snow. Putting the card to one side, still in two minds about what to do with it he carried on through the pile of unopened cards until he faltered on another one.  

The envelope was brightly coloured and when he opened the card, it looked like it had been chosen carefully and was unique, and not come in a pack of 20 of the same.  He smiled when he found the words ‘To Mr Ackles, Happy Holidays, Best Wishes, Jared’ scrawled across the inside.  He spent a few minutes analysing the significant of the words ‘Best Wishes’.  It all depended on when he’d written the card.  Before or after the night of the Christmas party? The Mr Ackles part sounded so formal though.  He then felt a pang of guilt that he’d not sent one back.  Perhaps he should have opened these earlier and then he would have had a chance to do so, but it was such a tedious job to do he had tried to put it off for as long as he possibly could.  But it just wasn’t his style, he never gave out cards, especially not Christmas cards.

After disposing of the pile of discarded cards and envelopes in the trash can he put the Christmas card from his parents away in one of the drawers in his desk and put the card from Loretta and Jared up on his fridge- the one from his assistant taking pride of place at the forefront.

Carefully pouring himself another glass of his favourite scotch he watched from his window as the fireworks started erupting up into the sky, painting the sky in different colours of the rainbow.  He could hear the screams and cheers from the midst of the city, people celebrating seeing the New Year in with family, friends and loved ones.

Something then pinged up on his laptop.  It was an instant message.  Putting down his glass of scotch he leant forward to open up the message.  He smiled when he saw that it was from his assistant.  It read;

‘Happy New Year, Love Jared x‘.

Hastily typing a message back he replied with the same.

In less than a week’s time, Jared would return to work and he’ll get to see him again.  As he continued to watch the explosion of different colours light up the night sky, he wondered what the New Year had in store for him.

Already it was looking better than previous years.  Even though Jared was far away right now, it felt like he was with him. He smiled as he waited for another reply.

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Jared was making the most of the temperate climate of Texas whilst he could before he flew back to San Francisco the day after tomorrow.

The ranch that his parents owned, although was showing signs of some disrepair, since him and his brother had left home and weren’t there to pull their weight with running repairs, it was still in good working condition thanks to some of the youngsters that volunteered there during the summer.

After mucking out one of the stables and repairing one of the fences that had broken, Jared sat down on the porch, zipping up his jacket tighter around him as he took in his surroundings.  He could smell his mother’s cooking coming through the vents of the kitchen.  It was a homely aroma of apple pie and cinnamon that was toying with his taste buds.  It was good to be home, but a part of him longed for the fast paced life back in San Francisco, whom, like the saying went, had captured a piece of his heart- a part which belonged to his temperamental boss.

 He wondered whether he would stay true to his word this time and indeed follow through with his reformed promise of assisting with the advertising campaign, and the suggestion of meeting for a drink.

Their brief exchange of messages during New Year’s Eve had re-instated that bond that they shared.  It was just a simple gesture but meant so much to him.

Needing to clear his head, he rounded up one of the horses and saddled up- a beautiful sturdy mare, 16 hands and mounted her.  He clutched onto the reigns and clicked his tongue to get her started, and gently squeezed his legs together in the stirrups until she gathered speed, sending them into a gentle gallop round the yard,  making his hair whip around his face, feeling the breeze encompass him.  There was nothing like the freedom and feeling of riding a horse.  It had been a while, but he hadn’t lost his touch.

When the mare slowed down to a slow trot, he spotted his mother at the entrance of the porch watching him proudly, with a smile on her face.  Gently bringing the horse to a stop, he jumped down off her back and patted her gently. “Well done” he praised, letting her run off back around the yard.  Closing the gate, he strolled back over to the front porch. “Hey mama…”.

Sherri’s kind face melted into even more of a smile. “Hey baby.  We’ve tried taming that mare for a while now, with no such luck.  Looks like you haven’t lost the knack. Are you hungry? I’ve just taken an apple pie outta the oven”.

Jared kissed his mother on the cheek. “Sounds great mama.  Smells amazing too”.

“And I’ve made up some batches of chutneys and salsa’s for you to take back with you too.  They should be cool enough by tomorrow.  You’ve left room in your hand luggage right?”.

“Of course…” Jared said nodding his head.

“Don’t want you forgetting your roots.  You need to come and visit more often.  I miss having you and your brother around, ya know? This ranch just feels too big for just me and your father.  We’re going to be too old soon to run the place”.

“You’re not thinking about selling up yet, surely?” Jared asked his mother, horrified at the thought of the place that he’d grown up on, and worked so hard to keep going as a family, being handed over to someone else.

Sherri shook her head and rubbed her hands on her apron which was dusted in flour and sugar from her day’s baking. “No, not right now, hon.  Some day though.  Without you and Jeff around the place helping out, there’s just too much to do.  We’re lucky we still get the volunteers during the summer months”.

Jared felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry.  I promise that I’ll make more of an effort to come home more.  It’s just hard though, because I’m trying to get my career established right now.  Once I’ve made my millions I’ll be able to afford to move back closer to home…either that or hire you some help” he said amusedly as he started to remove his muddy cowboy boots, dusting them off with the brush by the front door.

“I know baby.  It’s okay.  We’re fine right now, honestly. We’re so proud of you so don’t feel bad” Sherri said as she cuddled up to her taller son’s chest.

In the distance, there was a sound of hooves cantering closer and closer to them, causing sand and dust to be whisked up into the air in little whirlwinds.  Jeff appeared a moment later riding a smaller dusky grey stallion, skidding to a halt the other side of the fence.  After jumping off, he re-adjusted the reigns and let him join his companion who was still running around the yard, enjoying her freedom before she’d be put back in the stable for the night. He removed his hat and leapt over the fence, landing just a few feet from where his brother and mother were standing. “Wow, forgot how much I missed riding…”.

“I know” Jared said, sighing as he scanned the vicinity, reminiscing about his childhood.

Sherri laughed. “My little cowboys.  You used to ride horses before you could walk, practically.  There ain’t nothing you two can’t do with a horse”.

Jeff sniffed the air. “Mmm….do I smell pie?” he asked as his hand reached out for the door handle.

His mother batted his hand away. “Yes, but there’s no way in hell you’re coming inside with those boots on boy.  Take them off on the mat before you come in.  I’ve spent all day cleaning up in there”.

Jared sniggered at his brother’s pouting face.  He picked up his boots and brushed off his socks before stepping inside the kitchen.

“Goody two shoes…” Jeff muttered as he quickly toed off his shoes and followed suit, closing the door behind him.

Gerry was already sat at the kitchen table, waiting for his family to join him.

Jeff brought a pile of plates over to the table and laid them out and then joined his father at the table in the chair next to him. “I’ve fixed the hinge on the stable door.  Put a new one on, the damn thing had rusted right through”.

“I’ve repaired the fence too” Jared said as he brought over the cutlery and sat down.

Sherri smiled as she carried the freshly baked pie over to the table. “My boys…”.

“Thanks.  I’ve been meaning to get those fixed for a while now. I’ve think we’ve raised you well, haven’t we Sherri?” the eldest man said proudly as he leant back in his chair. “Is there anything I can do to help sweetheart?”.

“All done honey.  Let’s eat before this goes cold” Sherri said as she made the first cut into the steaming pie on the table”.

Jared was nearly salivating just from the smell and the look. “Don’t get this treatment in San Fran.  Thanks for an awesome Christmas and New Year”.

Jeff nodded his head in agreement. “Me and Jay have made a promise that we’ll come visit more often.  Easter holidays?”.

Gerry smiled at exactly the same time as his wife. “That would be lovely” he said raising his well deserved glass of red wine in the air after working in the yard all day. “To my family’s health and happiness and may this year keep on giving…”.

“Hear, hear” Sherri said as she kissed her husband on the top of his head and started to laugh when her boys began bickering over who had the bigger slice of pie.

 

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The Christmas holidays and New Year flashed by in a blur.  Jared flew back from Texas, the same night as Chloe returned from her parents house about an hour away from San Francisco.  They both had the weekend off to unwind before heading back to work on the Monday morning.

Jared yawned as he pressed the button to the elevator, bag over his shoulder containing various files and folders, and two steaming hot cups of coffee and a muffin in his arms.  Just as the doors started to close, a hand appeared in the opening and the doors sprang back open.

Jensen squeezed in through the gap, breathless but elated that he caught his assistant in time. “Welcome back” he smiled taking note of the healthy glow on the other’s man face.  The good old Texan fresh air and winter sun had worked wonders and he looked refreshed and revived. “How was your holiday?”.

“It was great, really good” Jared sighed as he quickly glanced in the mirror in front of him to check how much damage the wind had done to his hair.  He quickly adjusted his tie and handed over a coffee and the muffin to his boss.  Jensen looked immaculate as always, but his hair had grown a little more, which he thought looked good on him.

Taking the coffee and muffin from his assistant, Jensen sipped from the cup whilst he looked up at the floor indicator counting up. “Thanks.  Sorry I’m running late this morning….”.

Jared was glad for the conversation starter, relieving some of the tension between them, especially being in a confined space. “That’s okay…you don’t need to justify anything to me…” he said exhaling in relief when the door beeped and opening on the 12th floor.

Jensen just smiled as he led the way to his office. “I had a few things to pick up on my way” he said as he unlocked his office door and put his briefcase down on the floor by his desk and placed his coffee cup and un-opened on the desk. “I’ve got something to show you.  Your finished billboard for the Rodeo bar” he said pulling out a printed piece of A4 card.

They had been exchanging e-mails for 2 weeks.  Jared had been working diligently on the advertising campaign and had been sending the work to his boss via e-mail who had then looked over it as promised and then advised as necessary.

“Thank you so much for helping me out with this.  Your feedback has been great” Jared said truthfully.  He had expected his boss to have ripped it to shreds, but he had been very encouraging and very positive about it.

“I’ve hardly had to do anything.  You’re the one that’s done all of the hard work, you’ve done yourself proud.  And my company too” the executive said as he held up the glossy card. “Imagine this, but blown up times a hundred, up on the billboard by Walgreens on the edge of the freeway.  It should be up by the end of the week.  I’ve also blagged a couple more around the city too” Jensen said with a big grin on his face.

Jared took a closer look at the small colourful sheet in front of him with the slogan that he’d worked tirelessly on and had caused him many sleepless night. “Wow… serious? I mean…I love it.  How did you manage that?”.

Jensen plumped out his lips and beamed back as he leant back in his chair. “I’m cashing in some favours. I’ve just picked up these this morning too, hot off the press. 1000 flyers, to get them started.  I thought that you’d like the honours of delivering them to the manager.  We’ve got less than 3 months to achieve the goal, no time like the present”.

The young assistant was still in complete and utter shock. All of his hard work and there was finally something to show for it. “Thank you so much for this. Thank you…” he muttered, lost for words.

“No problem.  Like I said, you’ve done all the hard work, I’ve just followed your brief and instructions and executed it with my resources.  This is still your baby” Jensen said. “I’ve booked the studio for you for a few hours later on today to get the jingle and commercial recorded.  I’ve secured some prime time slots for you already”.

Jared had to actually flop down in the chair before he fell down. He ran his hand across his face, cringing at the fact that he hadn’t shaved this morning yet. “This is incredible…like a dream come true….you must have worked so hard to get this sorted for me…”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders humbly. “I decided that you’re worth the risk and I’m more than confident that this is going to work.  I wouldn’t be bothering if I didn’t think that it would”.  He was plucking up the courage to broach the real subject at hand. “So….do you still want to go for that drink?”.

“Yeah….I…I thought that maybe you’d forgotten” Jared said, the smile still not leaving his elated face.

“No….no way….no a chance. Wait, had you forgotten then?” the executive asked, panicking slightly.

Jared smiled and shook his head. “Of course not…”.

Relaxing again, Jensen beamed back. “Okay then, well how about tonight? Call it a celebration? New beginnings…”.

Wincing, Jared’s face fell. “Oh..I, I can’t”.

The executive nodded solemnly. “Okay.  I get it…” he said as he got to his feet and started pacing around the room.

Jared got to his feet quickly, shaking his head. “No, not that.  I mean that I can’t tonight.  I got a dinner date with Chloe.  I’m meeting her boyfriend for the first time and it’s all been arranged.  She’s gone out and bought all the food and is going to be spending the whole day cooking it up”.

Jensen’s smile was back again. “Then you can’t let her down.  How about tomorrow night then?”.  He bit down on his lip in suspense.

“Yeah, absolutely.  That’s if…my boss will let me off early” the young assistant said with a cheeky grin on his face.

Laughing, Jensen ran his hand over the top of his ear shyly. “I’m sure he will”.

“Great.  It’s a date then” Jared said elatedly.

There was one more issue that the executive wanted to bring up. “Jared…look…I don’t want people to know about this, okay?”.

Jared looked confused. “Uh…”.

Jensen put his hand up in the air. “Just hear me out. I’m not ashamed, I’ve already told you that.  Believe me I want to tell everyone about this.  I just don’t want to jink the first good thing that I’ve had in a long time that’s all. I always mess up anything great that happens to me”.

“Of course” Jared agreed.  He pondered what his boss said for a few moment. “Wait, you think that this could be something good?”.

The executive smiled timidly and walked up to his assistant.  One of his hands gently reached up to tuck one of the bangs began his ear. “Yeah…”.  He moved his mouth closer to Jared’s until they were a mere millimetre apart.

“Me too” Jared whispered as he closed the gap between their lips and gently bit down on his boss’s lips before kissing him gently and slowly.

Jensen moaned softly as he pulled Jared towards him and onto his lap as he backed them up against the desk. “Plus, it feels so much better in secret right?” he asked pulling away.

Jared smiled wickedly. “Secret rendez-vou’s with my boss in his own office? Dirty, bad, wrong”.

The intercom on the desk started to beep loudly, giving them warning of someone approaching. “Mr Ackles? Olivia Jameson for you., she‘s on her way up” his secretary’s voice echoed through the speakerphone.

Moving away hastily Jared wiped his mouth and tidied up his hair.

“Shit…I completely forgot” Jensen said as he smoothed down the ruffled material of his newly pressed suit. “Potential investor….” he said as he quickly booted up his computer before a smartly dressed woman entered.

“I’ll leave you to it.  I’ll get the flyers down to the bar so they can start distributing them” Jared said as he made his excuse to leave and started to walk out of the room.

“Jared?” Jensen hollered back.

Jared turned on his heels. “Yeah?”.

Jensen smiled. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”.  When his assistant just shrugged his shoulders, he pointed to the box of flyers on his desk.

“Oh….yeah” the younger man said embarrassedly as he strode back over to the desk and picked up the box.

The executive watched Jared leave, trying to keep his composure until he realised that the woman was standing in front of his desk patiently. “Ms Jameson. Please take a seat…..”.

$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$

 

As soon as Jared got in through the door of his apartment, he had a glass of wine thrust in his hand and was dragged over to the couch.

“Jared, come say hi to Jimmy.  He‘s been dying to meet you” Chloe giggled.

Jared was completely thrown off course.  He didn’t expect Jimmy to be here so early. He looked down at his watch and realised that it was him running late.

Jimmy was sat down in the middle of the couch, a nervous look on his face as he looked up at the taller, intimidating man.  He had scruffy blond hair and blue eyes, just like Chloe.  Getting to his feet he shook Jared’s hand. “Hey, what’s up? Jimmy!”.

“Jared….but I’m guessing she’s told you that already, right?” he said.

Chloe was stood on the spot, looking just as nervous.  She really hoped that the two men that she loved the most got on with each other. “Okay…I’m going to leave you two to get to know each other for a moment, I just need to baste the chicken breasts.  Feel free to talk about me” she said laughing as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Jared sat down on the couch and signalled to the blond man to sit down next to him. “So, Jimmy. What line of business are you in then?”.

“Photography.  I’m a photographer.  Done a bit of everything, but mostly into journalism right now, and some model shoots on the side.  You should check out my website.  I’m sure Chlo will show it to you” Jimmy said as he took a swig from a bottle of beer.

“Yeah sure thing.  I’ve heard great things about your work, so I’ll be sure to check it out” Jared said genuinely.

Jimmy winced. “So? Is this the part where you grill me now and make sure that I’m good enough for your girl Chlo? Because I just want to say that although it’s only been a few months, she means the absolute world to me and I’m never, ever going to do anything to hurt her.  Plus…I’m a little scared of you man” he joked.

Jared patted the blond man on his back. “We’re cool.  That’s all I needed to hear. Besides if it means you taking her off my hands…”.

“Hey! You would miss me…besides I‘m not going anywhere right now..” Chloe said, as she appeared again. “And quit hitting on my man…”.

Rolling his eyes and sticking his tongue out at his best friend, Jared took a slurp of wine.

Chloe went to sit on the arm of the couch and cuddled up to her boyfriend and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“So what’s for food then? Something actually smells really good” Jared said cheekily. “When did you learn to cook?”.

“Shut it!” the blonde said, as she slapped her best friend playfully. “That’s the last time I cook pot roast for you!”.

Jimmy kissed his girlfriend affectionately and then turned his attention back to Jared who was quietly sipping from his drink. “So advertising, right? Under uh…Mr Ackles?”.

Jared couldn’t help but refrain from smiling at the mere mention of his boss’ name. “Yeah….that’s correct”.

“I’ve done some work for him in the past.  Not really the easiest guy to work with so I take my hat off to you, man” the photographer said.

Luckily for Jared, before he had to chance to think of an answer, his friend saved him.

Chloe got up from the arm of the couch and summoned the guys to the table. “First course is up”.

Jared shrugged his shoulders at the other man and indicated to him to lead the way to the table where Chloe was bringing out 3 small plates of food to the table.

$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$

   
The food, wine and the conversation was going down very well with and they were just finishing up dessert. Jared and Jimmy were getting along great and found lots of common ground, much to Chloe’s delight.  She was so worried that they wouldn’t be able to get on with each other, but that was not the case.

“The Warriors, really?” Jared asked jokingly. “They suck man, I’m sorry!”.

Jimmy snorted. “Oh yeah, like the Spurs are any better. How about if I swap you Lee with Robbins?”.

Shaking his head, Jared laughed. “Nuh, he sucks.  You can keep him man!”.

Agreeing, the blond man nodded his head and wiped his mouth with the corner of his napkin. “Yeah, fair point! Listen, I’m sure that there’s an NBA match on in a couple of weeks.  I’m usually given free tickets for some of the matches,  can’t guarantee what match it will be, but you’re welcome to join me if you like?”.

Jared’s eyes lit up like saucers. “Yeah man, I’m totally up for that.  That would be awesome!”.

Chloe banged her head down onto the kitchen table for effect. “Basketball? God, I’m bored outta my mind here!”.

Jimmy put an arm around her. “Aw, baby, I’m sorry, you can come too”.

Raising an eyebrow, the petite blond scoffed. “It’s okay, I’ll pass.  I’d rather stick pins in my eyes! I’m just so glad that you two are getting along great though”.

“What, even though he’s a Warriors fan?” Jared asked jokingly, giving a sly wink towards the other man.

Just at that moment, the doorbell rang, followed by some tentative taps against the wood.

“Who the hell could that be at this time at night? Seriously, if it’s that guy trying to sell us cable again, then tell him where he can stick it!” Chloe said as she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m going to start clearing all of this stuff away anyway” she said indicating to the pile of dirty dishes and getting to her feet.

Jimmy got up from his chair too. “I’ll give you a hand…”.

“Okay, but I’m washing, you’re drying.  You never have the water hot enough” Chloe berated.

“No you have it too hot!” the blonde photographer protested.

“That’s why you wear gloves…..doofus!” Chloe mocked as she led the way into the small kitchen with an arm full of dishes.

Jared got to his feet and laughed at the banter between the couple.  They already sounded like an old married couple.  Doing a hop, skip and a jump towards the door, he opened it up. “We’re not buying anything that you’re selling, so you can….”.  He stopped mid sentence when the open door revealed a familiar face.

Jensen was stood in the hallway nervously holding a manilla folder under one arm. His tie had been loosened and his collar was open at the top.  It had obviously been raining outside and his mac was dripping wet as was his hair.

It took all of Jared’s constraint to hold back and not push him up against the wall and kiss him senseless right now, in the hallway. In fact, he had almost forgotten that he needed to speak until he realised that he was just stood there, staring.  Clearing his throat and finding his voice he smiled. “Mr Ackles?”.

“Evening.  I’m really sorry, I won’t take long.  I know that you’ve got dinner plans…I don‘t want to interrupt” Jensen began awkwardly.

Jared looked behind him as he heard laughter from the kitchen. “You’re not interrupting anything right now.  I think that they can manage without me for a few minutes” he said as he folded his arms across his chest.

Jensen noticed that his assistant had rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, showing off his bulging arms.  The folder underneath his arm nearly slipped out, reminding him of why he was here.  It could have actually waited until the morning, but he’d had this incessant need to see his assistant all evening and had come up with the perfect excuse. “I just need you to sign some documents for me.  I need your signature on the campaign contracts.  I’ve got to fax them off before midnight…I wouldn’t have called so late otherwise…”.

“It’s okay…” Jared said softly. “I know what these big shop corporate people are like.  They’re all about dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s” he said giving a sly smile. He held out his hand. “Do you have a pen?”.

“Yeah….” Jensen said as he fumbled around in his pockets dropping the documents on the floor as he did so.

They both bent down at the exactly the same moment to retrieve them, almost bumping heads with each other.  Their hands brushed against each other’s.  Jared’s were warm compared to Jensen’s.

Jensen passed a few sheets of paper over to his assistant once he’d put them back into order. “Just sign here….and here” he said indicating with his index finger.

“Okay” Jared said as he did just that. “Is that all okay now?”.

“Yeah, all done and dusted” the executive said as he stuffed the documents back into the manilla folder, exchanging the brightest smile yet.

Chloe came barging towards the door. “Jared, seriously, just give the guy a dime and tell him to fuck off” she said before realising who was in the doorway.

Jared cringed.

“Oh…I’ll…er…I think…I better go and check that Jimmy’s drying those plates properly. I‘ll leave you to it” the blonde said as she sensed the sexual tension between them, feeling awkward at interrupting.  She tried to nudge her friend as discreetly as possible as she walked away, but Jensen picked up on it.

“Subtle isn’t she?” the executive laughed.

“Yeah!” Jared agreed.  He saw that the executive shivered slightly as he brushed some raindrops from his face. “I’m so sorry, do you want to come in and dry off? I can get some coffee for you? It’s nothing elaborate, just instant….”.

Jensen shook his head. “No, it’s okay.  I don’t want to trouble you or put you out any more than I already have.  I’ll see you tomorrow”.

Jared felt a pang of disappointment that their impromptu meeting was over already. “Okay, if you’re sure. Wait…uh, how did you know where I lived?” he asked as he stepped out into the hallway and shut the door to the apartment slightly.

Trying to hide his smirk, the executive blushed. “I may have some access to some very confidential databases.  It was on your driver’s licence record.  Although you haven‘t owned a car in 3 years”.

“That’s…..that’s kinda illegal, you know?” Jared said actually impressed.

“Yeah.  Are you going to report me then?” the older man replied.

The young assistant took two steps forward. “Nope…but I’m going to kiss you, we‘ve really got to stop meeting in hallways like this”.

Jensen didn’t answer, just pressed a hand over his assistant’s cheek and kissed him on the lips, deeply, intense, but for only a few short seconds. Pulling away, he adjusted the position of his briefcase across his shoulder and pulled his long rain coat around him and walked away, leaving his assistant stood in the hallway, legs trembling like jelly at the embrace.

Jared slammed the front door shut just as Chloe was stood in the lounge waiting expectantly.

“What did he want?” Chloe asked, winking.

“Just for me to sign some paperwork for him, that’s all” Jared said innocently.

Chloe raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Really? Then why are you all wet?”.

Looking down at his sodden shirt and pants, he pulled a face knowing that he had been caught out. “Whatever. You have bubbles in your hair”.

“I’m going to kill him” Chloe said as she stamped her foot and went back into the kitchen to give her boyfriend his comeuppance.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10-

Jared walked into the busy restaurant, feeling out of place with the clientele. He had been out on errands for the majority of the afternoon so had finished early, giving him some time to go home, have a shower and get himself changed.  His wardrobe was very limited but he’d found a brown cordoroy jacket that was smart, yet casual and went well with one of his newest shirts.  He teamed them up with beige chinos and loafers.  His parents had bought him some decent after shave for Christmas so he’d binned the shop bought stuff he had.  Having no idea how this sort of thing worked, he went up to the man at the front of the Restaurant like he’d watched in those Hollywood films. “I’ve got a reservation.  Under Mr Ackles?” he asked nervously, hoping that his amateurism didn’t shine through too much. ‘Act like you belong’ he kept saying to himself.

The waiter scrolled down his list and smiled as he ticked it off. “Yes.  You must be Mr Padalecki?”.

Jared was about to correct him, but then realised that it was customary to address customers by their formal surnames and not their first name. “Yes”.

“Follow me sir.  Mr Ackles is running 10-15 minutes late, but there’s a free appetizer on the house as a consolation” the maitre-de said.

The young assistant was shown to a table in the corner, with a fabulous view overlooking the harbour.  The sun was still far from setting.

“Mr Ackles has rung his order through, so if you’d like to choose yours then we can get it cooking all ready for his arrival.  Here is the menu, these are the specials and here is the wine menu.  If there’s nothing that takes your fancy then we’ll cook anything for you.  I‘ve been told to look after you because this is a special night.  Orders from Mr Ackles himself”.

Jared sat down and started to peruse through the menus.  It would be hard to make a decision because everything looked so good. “Thank you, you‘re doing a grand job so far”.

The Maitre-de did a little curtsy and nodded his head. “I’ll bring over your crab cake appetiser and I’ll be back to take your order.  Assuming that crab cakes will be fine? There’s chicken goujons if you’d rather”.

“Crab cakes will be lovely, thank you” Jared replied politely. This must be how the other half lived.  There was definitely no expense spared here.  There wasn’t even any prices on the menu.  If you had to ask then you couldn’t afford it.

After much deliberation, he’d decided on the whole duck, roasted in plum sauce, with roasted vegetables and sautéed potatoes.  His waiter had convinced him to have a dessert and recommended the crème brulee with caramel sauce.  He was just deciding on the wine, when he saw Jensen come running in.

“I’m really sorry I’m late.  Conference call to Nice.  I don’t think that they could quite get the hint that I was trying to cut it short because I had to go.  Anyway…I’m here now.  Have you ordered yet?” Jensen asked, breathless as he sat down on the empty chair opposite his assistant who was tucking into his crab cake appetiser.

Jared nodded his head. “The duck.  I’m still undecided on the wine.  I never knew you could have so many varieties to be honest”.  He lowered the tone of his voice. “I just usually get whatever is the cheapest and on offer from Walmart”.

This made the executive laugh.  He held out his hand to take the menu and summoned over the matire-de. “Mario, bring out the bottle of Brunello di Montalcin please”.

“Wow, it really is a celebration then” the waiter said as he strutted off to go and get it.

“You’re going to like it.  It’s going to go great with the duck, trust me” the executive assured.

Jared felt himself blushing. “I’m sorry, I stand out like a sore thumb here. I’m just not used to all of this…”.

Jensen smiled reassuringly and put his hand on the younger man’s. “It’s okay”.  He then looked nervously at his watch.

“Everything okay?” Jared asked his boss, sensing his apprehension.

“Yeah, just wondering how much longer they’re going to be with the food that’s all” the older man said as he gazed out at the sun.

“There’s no hurry is there?” Jared enquired. “If you’re hungry, you can share my crab cakes?”.

“No, it’s not that, I just want everything to be perfect that’s all” Jensen admitted.

Jared put his free hand on top of Jensen’s. “It is.  I mean this place is….amazing.  And the view is incredible, and it’s going to get so much better when the sun starts to set too”.

Jensen smiled. “Trust me, you’re going to get an even better view of the sunset”.

Before Jared had a chance to ponder that statement or enquire into it, the waiter brought the bottle of wine in an ice bucket with two wine glasses.  He’d popped the cork but didn’t pour any into their glasses like Jared thought they were meant to.

“Dinner is served” Mario declared.

Again, Jared was confused because there was no food on the table and no-one seemed to be bringing any over either.

Grabbing the ice bucket and the wine glasses Jensen got to his feet. “Thank you Mario”.

The waiter smiled,  blissfully happy that he’d fulfilled his duties. “Enjoy your evening Mr Ackles and Mr Padalecki”.

“Thank you” Jensen hollered back as he led the way back down the stairs until they were standing on the dock in the harbour.

Jared’s confusion grew. “Uh…I thought we were having dinner?”.

Jensen opened up the gate and led the way down the jetty until he stopped at a catamaran. “We are” he said pointing inside the boat where there was a beautifully laid out table with a bottle of champagne in the centre. “The extra scenic view.  Under the Golden Gate Bridge just in time for sundown”.

The young assistant’s face beamed and he was rendered speechless.

“Oh…I never thought to ask….you don’t get sea sick do you? I can’t believe I hadn’t thought about that until now…” Jensen said, starting to panic when there was no reply from the other man.

Jared snapped out of his reverie, thinking about pinching himself to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming any of this. “No! No I don’t.  This is amazing.  I’ve always wanted to try this. Incredible”.

“Let’s get in before it gets too cold out here.  The sea is quite calm but there’s going to be an icy breeze once we leave the shelter of the harbour. I’ve packed some extra layers for us, just in case” Jensen stated as he stepped up onto the deck and inside the warmth of the cabin.  It had glass windows all around so they could stay warm and still take in the view around them.

“Is this yours? Do you own it?” Jared asked, as he marvelled at the interior and took note of the captain ready at the wheel.

Jensen nodded shyly as if he were embarrassed. “It’s my parent’s, yes.  But seeing as they’re not using it right now, I thought that we could make the most of it.  It’s a shame to just leave her sitting here docked up in the harbour when she could be out exploring the bay”.

They ate in silence as they drank the wine which did indeed taste magnificent and compliment the taste of their food.  Jared made a mental note to take down the name of the wine, but he had a feeling that it was at the very top end of the price range and out of his budget.

As the sun started to set, they set sail and sailed slowly under the Golden Gate Bridge and watched the sun dip lower into the sky, casting brilliant orange and red hues which reflected off the infamous Red Bridge despite the overcast sky.

“I’ve tucked into your mom’s chutney.  Had some last night.  It was amazing, you’ll have to give me the recipe so Loretta can make some more for me” Jensen said as he moved closer to Jared as they sat outside on the deck, covered in blankets.  Jared had given him the jars as promised, yesterday morning.

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Loretta?”.

Jensen shook his head. “Sorry…my housekeeper.  She likes cooking things up for me too, kinda spoils me”.

“You have a housekeeper?” the assistant asked in surprise.

“Did you think I’d actually have time to clean and cook all by myself?” Jensen asked incredulously.

“No, I guess not, I should have figured….” Jared replied as he looked out at the horizon and shivered as a gust of wind caught him unaware.  He took a sip from his glass of champagne.  Between them they’d finished the bottle of wine and nearly the whole bottle of fizzy bubbles.

“Are you cold?” Jensen asked as he wrapped an arm around his younger assistant.

“I’m okay. It’s just so peaceful out here” Jared said solemnly.  “I’ve never seen the city from this perspective before.

Jensen smiled sheepishly. “To be honest, neither have I .  I’ve lived here for nearly 3 years and I’ve never seen the city properly.  I told you, I’ve never done any of the touristy things before”.

Jared snuggled up to his boss. “That’s really too bad” he said as he got an idea into his head. “That’s why I’m going to give you the tour….”.

Perking up, Jensen’s smiled broadened. “What?”.

“Yeah.  I’m going to be your tour guide.  This is kinda embarrassing, but I moved here to go to SFU, being a student, money was very tight…..so I took up a part-time job as a tour guide on one of those City Tour buses” Jared admitted.

Jensen scoffed and giggled.

“Yep, red hat, microphone and everything” Jared cringed. “And in the summer months, tight navy shorts.  I was mortified, but it helped to pay some of my tuition.  But I know this city like the back of my hand now.  So you’re going to get your own VIP tour. Cable Cars, Postcard Row and clam chowder bread bowls and lobster on Pier 39.  How about it? It’s not as glamorous as sailing on your own catamaran at sunset with champagne, but it’s all I can offer you”.

Sighing happily, Jensen leant across and kissed Jared on the cheek. “I’d love to.  It sounds perfect. But it will have to be on a weekend.  Not this week though because I’ve got a conference up in Santa Barbara, so weekend after next?”.

“I’ll brush up on my local knowledge again. I’m sure I’ve still got my snap cards somewhere” the younger man teased. “I can’t wait.  What conference is on up in Santa Barbara then?” he enquired.

Jensen moaned. “Oh God, seriously, it’s mind numbingly boring.  I’m not going to subject you to that. I want you to cover the office for me.  I’ve got some tasks lined up for you, some meetings etc, etc.  I’m entrusting them to you and Brad”.

Jared gasped. “Really? You’re giving me that level of responsibility…”.

“I think that you’ve already proven your worth and that you can take initiative.  And Brad’s my most faithful employee so I can’t think of anyone better. Just run any big decisions by me first” Jensen said as he looked over at the sun, which was casting it’s last rays across the sky.

“I’ll have to be careful.  People are going to think that I’m screwing the boss or something…” the younger man laughed.

Jensen bit down on his lip and put down his glass of champagne and took Jared’s from him, placing them down onto the floor of the deck.  He ran a hand through Jared’s hair, realising that it felt just as soft and fluffy as it looked.  Kissing him, he closed his eyes and moaned as Jared’s lips started to caress his own.  Aside from sex, he’d never had intimacy on this level before.  He’d made a vow not to get too attached too soon, but he was falling hard and fast and was beginning to realise what people meant now when they said that they were in love.

Jared pulled the blanket around them tighter, engulfing them into a cucoon, bringing them into their own little world where everything, for now at least was perfect.

Ironically, just at that moment, some fireworks were let off in the distance somewhere, no doubt left over from New Year’s Eve parties.

That was just the icing on the cake. 

 

When Jared entered the coffee room, he caught the tail end of the conversation.

“I swear to God that he was humming.  Happy humming at that” Lois said.

Jared was too afraid to ask who they were talking about, but he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Mike scoffed. “He is so getting laid”.

Jared cleared his throat and hoped that his entrance would get them to change the conversation. “Hey!”.

Brad put down his half eaten sandwich on the table and waved ‘hello’. “Hey Partner!”.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Mike laughed. “I can’t believe that he’s away for a few days and leaving you two dorks in charge!”.

“We’re not in charge, Mr Ackles is still boss, trust me on that.  We just need to follow up some meetings and assignments for him whilst he’s away that’s all” Brad said.

Jared nodded his head in agreement. “It’s only because I’ve worked so close to him the past month of so, I’ve kinda cottoned on to what he’s thinking and unfortunately I know his schedules and appointments off by heart.  I’ve had to cos otherwise I’d get my ass kicked back to Texas”.

Lois smiled. “Yeah….you have been working closely with him.  Do you know if he’s seeing anyone right now? He seems….uh….happy…”.

“Can’t he just be happy without you giving him a reason?” Jared enquired.

Brad picked up his sandwich and resumed eating. “Nuh uh…I’ve known that man far too long and he’s never been ‘happy’ before!”.

Tom strolled into the coffee room with his bag of lunch. “Heads up guys, big man on campus is on his way down and for a change and he’s not on the war path.  He’s just signed me up for a new campaign and assigned me project manager.  This is un-freakin believable”.

Sure enough, less than a minute later, Jensen strolled into the coffee room with his suitcase, briefcase and rain coat. He put some files and folders down onto the table. “Brad, Jared? Everything you’re going to need is in here. You’ll be able to contact me via e-mail and my cell phone if there’s any problems”.

Brad smiled. “Okay boss, no worries”.

“You’re going now?” Jared asked, trying not to sound too disappointed.

Jensen tried to hide his remorse too. “Yeah, my train leaves in a hour.  I can’t miss it”.

Jared tucked his hair behind his ear.  He felt that all eyes in the room were looking right at him and his interaction with his boss. “Have you got 2 minutes? I just need to clarify some details with you?”.

“Okay.  Talk and walk” Jensen said as he signalled for his assistant to follow him out to the parking lot. “I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye to you” he said as they reached the elevator and the doors shut.  He pressed the button for the basement parking lot.  As soon as the doors were shut, he shuffled closer to his assistant and smiled.

“I’m glad.  But I still don’t get why I can’t come with you?” Jared said as he let his boss wrap his arms around him as the elevator bumped.

“Mainly….because you’ll be a distraction.  How am I meant to concentrate knowing that you’ll be there” Jensen purred. “It’s only for a few days, then this time next week you’re taking me on a date, remember?”.

Jared sighed and nodded his head. “Okay” he said planting a kiss on his lips just as the doors opened to the parking lot.

Jensen took his assistant’s hand and led him towards his silver porshe which was parked in an extra wide parking space out of the way of the other cars.

“Let me” Jared said as he took his boss’ cases and put them in the trunk,

“You didn’t have to do that you know” the older man pointed out.

“I know, but I wanted to.  I’m your assistant…..that’s my job….” Jared said with a smirk on his face.

Wrapping his arms around the younger man, Jensen smiled. “Hhmm…I think that you’ve definitely been upgraded to partner now don’t you think?”.

Jared’s face beamed with pride. “Yeah….”.

Jensen kissed Jared intensely for a few moments and then reluctantly pulled away. “As much as I’d love to stay here and kiss you…I’ve got to go…”.

“Okay” Jared said as he grudgingly let go of the executives hand.  He watched with sadness as he watched Jensen get into his car and drive away.  It was going to be a long few days without him.

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Jared threw down the foam finger on the coffee table and cracked open a bottle of beer.

Jimmy was saying goodbye to Chloe at the front door.

“Thanks for taking him out for the evening baby. He could do with a distraction and some cheering up” Chloe said as she kissed her boyfriend. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”.

“See ya Jay!” the photographer shouted out.

“Cheers Jim.  Thanks for taking me man, that match was awesome.  We’ll have to do it some time again soon!”. They had just watched one of the NBA basketball matches in downtown San Fran, as Jimmy had promised and they’d gotten on great with each other and felt like old friends.

Chloe shut the front door and sat down on the couch next to her best friend. “Why the glum face hon, I thought you had a good time?”.

Jared took a swig of beer and sighed heavily. “I did.  Me and Jimmy really enjoyed.  He’s a great guy, I think we’ll be great friends…”.

“This is about Jensen, right?” the blonde asked.

“Am I really that obvious then?” Jared asked as he tucked his long legs up to his chest and rest his head down on them. “I mean, he’s only been gone a couple of days and will be back the day after tomorrow, but I miss him so much.  It’s pathetic, right?”.

“Nope, I think that it’s called love! Chloe stated.

“I know, that’s what I’m scared of.  Giving my heart to someone again.  Patrick kinda took a piece of mine and ripped it to shreds.  I’m worried about Jensen doing the same thing.  But then again I never thought I could love anyone again after him.  Things just seem too…..perfect at the moment, like it’s being set up for a fall” Jared admitted.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Jay…I know Patrick hurt you really bad, and he’s made you lose trust in other men and falling in love again, but you’ve got to go with it.  Now stop moping around and go ring him or something, seriously”.

Jared started at his cell phone on the coffee table.  He’d contemplated that idea for a while now. “Yeah, maybe I should.  But what if it goes to voicemail?”.

“Duh! Then you leave him a message doofus” Chloe said matter-of-factly.

“Fine” Jared said as he grabbed his cell and got up from the couch.

“Where are you going?” the blonde asked.

“Er, to my room. There’s no way I’m having you listening in” Jared joked.

Chloe smiled. “Okay.  I hear you, I get the hint.  Now go speak to your man”.

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Jensen was tired.  No, scrap that, he was exhausted and he had a headache.  He’d been trying to make negotiations for the past couple of days but to no avail.  The documents needed to be finalised then he could head back home.

One of the rival companies was in serious debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.  He was here to help them out and buy out the company but they weren’t being fair in their negotiations.

Looking out of the window of the boardroom, Jensen moaned as he ran his hand over his face tiredly.

The door opened and the company’s owner finally made an appearance.

It was a bitter memory for the executive as Jeffrey Dean Morgan entered the room. “Jensen…..”.

Jensen got to his feet and studied the man that had been the bane of his life for years and who had caused him so much heartache in recent time. “Jeff…..finally showed your face, right? I was getting sick of talking to your puppets and monkeys”.

Jeff folded his arms across his chest and smiled. “You’re looking great, really good.  Life’s obviously treating you well”.

“I wish I could say the same about you! Obviously stealing that 200 grand from me didn’t help your company in the slightest.  Karma’s a bitch and coming back to slap you square in your unshaven face!” Jensen spat back.

“Hhhm…..if I remember correctly, you liked that about me, my roughness, said it gave me that jagged, rugged edge” he said, the huskiness breaking through in his voice.  His hand reached out to the younger man.

“Don’t touch me!” Jensen warned as he felt the anger rise. “Sleeping with me, making me fall in love with you and then hacking my bank account to steal money.  Then you were gone.  I didn’t care about the money, it’s nothing to me.  You broke my heart, I thought that you loved me.  I just feel sorry for you that you had to stoop so low.  But your plan didn’t quite work out now did it?” he smirked.

Jeff backed away and threw his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry Jensen. I never meant to hurt you.  I was a desperate man.  Now I’m completely broke and I need your help.  Please” he said as his eyes started to glaze over. “If it’s any consolation, I did love you”.

Jensen just laughed. “Don’t try the pity card or the crocodile tears, it’s not going to work on me anymore. I’ve made you an offer, just sign the damn contract.  Under the circumstances I think that it’s more than fair, don’t you.  Now sign” he said as he pushed the contract and pen towards the other man.

“Jensen…please.  You really can’t expect me to agree to these terms and conditions. Please” Jeff begged. “I still care about you”.

The younger executive remained focused on the task in hand and remained emotionless. ”Just sign or I’m heading straight back to San Francisco”.

“Why are you being so hard and heartless about this.  You never used to be like this” Jeff said.

Jensen sniffed and looked back out at the window.  He rubbed at his temples to ease the building pressure in his head. “Yeah well, I’ve lost trust in people no thanks to you.  That can change a guy”.

“I should have realised that you weren’t coming out here to help me out and that you were here to screw me over” Jeff admitted.

“I’m just getting back what you stole from me, that’s all.  I don’t see anyone else coming to bail you out of the shit” the younger man said as he picked up the pen and held it out. “You don’t really have much choice do you.  You need my help and my finances”.

Jeff put his head in his hands and admitted defeat.  Jensen was right.  The financial state of his company was beyond irreversible repair and it was too much of a gamble for anyone to take it on. “Fine….” he said as he took the pen.

Jensen however, should have taken delight in his defeat, but couldn’t feel anything for the man whom he had trusted so much all that time ago.  He’d had his commeupance. “This is me washing my hands of you for the last time.  You are effectively working for me now but I don’t want to see you ever again.  Any major decisions on the running of the company goes to me.  I’m the organ grinder now, and you’re the monkey.  The company is under my control but you are still the acting director, but a silent one, get it?”.

The older man nodded his understanding. “Thank you.  I‘m sorry I never got to say goodbye to you properly”.

The younger executive gathered up the signed contracts and walked up to the other man.  He kissed him on the lips, almost falling for the jagged edges of his lips again, remembering how they used to make him feel.  They were nothing like Jared’s, which were soft and warm.  Pulling away he wiped his mouth. “Consider that your goodbye Jeff”.

Jeff was left reeling after their brief kiss and smoothed down his lips hoping to preserve the younger man’s essence on his mouth.

Jensen stopped before he reached the door. “Can I have my pen back please? It‘s gold plated, and it‘s kinda valuable”.

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Jared had taken Jensen on a tour around the city, starting with the cable cars.  As it was full, they both had to stand and cling onto the pole, but they had held tight onto each other as they went up and down the hills.  Lunch had been a stop in Union Square at the Cheesecake Factory and after taking a cab ride to see the painted ladies in the park and lounging around, they’d hitched a ride over to Pier 39 where they were now sat eating Clam Chowder in a bread bowl and awaiting their fresh lobster.

Jensen smiled as he spooned some chowder out from the bowl. “Thank you for today.  I haven‘t had this much fun in a long while, I’ll be honest” he admitted.

“I’m glad that you enjoyed” Jared said as he started to rip into the bread bowl. “Are you okay? You just seem really…..quiet that’s all….”.

“Yeah.  I’m really tired, don’t know what’s wrong with me.  It’s been a struggle to get up out of bed the past few days.  I’ve not been able to shake this dreadful headache either” the executive said. “I’ll be fine”.

Jared extended his hand out and put it on his boss’s arm. “You work too hard.  You need a day off.  Hey, you never told me how that meeting in Santa Barbara went a few days ago”.

Jensen stiffened up. Seeing Jeff had brought back all of his anger and hurt over his betrayal and he was struggling to re-bury those feelings again. “Yeah, I got the result that I wanted, put it that way”.

The younger man knew better than to probe any further.  Jensen would speak up if and when he was ready to do so that’s if there was anything to tell in the first place. “You don’t have to pay for the food, I told you, this is my treat.  Today is on me.  You spoiled me enough last weekend”.

The older man shook his head insistently. “No, don’t be silly.  What do I pay you, like the minimum wage?” he asked as he picked at some crumbs.

Jared cringed and felt himself blush. “Actually….not even that.  But it’s fine, I mean you’ve been more than generous with the bonuses you’ve given me”.

“Why are you still working for me?” Jensen laughed jokingly.

“I’ve told you before, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.  And besides….my boss isn’t so bad now” Jared smiled as he held tight onto Jensen’s hand. “He’s actually very kind, considerate, gentle and let’s not forget clever, ambitious, hard working….oh and gorgeous”.

Jensen’s face flushed crimson at the shower of compliments. “Okay, I get it.  I just don‘t know what I‘ve done to deserve someone as nice as you that‘s all.  The last bloke was….well. It‘s over now, what‘s done is done.  I‘ve got closure on it now”.

“Yep I’ve had my fair share of sucky ex-boyfriends” Jared agreed as he recognised the sorrow tone in his boss’ voice. “I’ve had enough hurt in the past….well…not that long ago actually. So I’m glad that we’re doing this right, taking it slow.  I really, really like you.  That’s why you’re going to let me pay for this meal, okay?”.

The executive sighed with relief.  Jeff had never offered to pay for anything when they had been going out.  He had taken it for granted that Jensen paid for everything.  He should have seen the warning signs earlier. “Okay. Thank you very much.  And I really, really like you too” he said as he leant over and kissed his assistant on the mouth pleased at how warm his lips were despite the cold temperature outside.

“I think our lobster is on the way” Jared said as he picked up his giant lobster napkin and tucked it into his shirt.

Jensen couldn’t help but giggle at how silly he looked, but he did the same nonetheless.  His was an expensive silk shirt, so he didn’t want to get it ruined with lobster juice.

After dinner, Jensen took them for a drive in his Porsche and he pulled over just after the freeway and stopped on the side of the road just in front of a billboard advert. “Do you recognise this?”.

Jared looked up above him and laughed happily at his work. “Wow. It looks great.  I’ve not seen it yet.  Thank you” he said as he admired the slogan and the design for the Rodeo Bar. “Thank you for making this happen for me….”.

“You did it all Jared.  This is your accomplishment.  I just set the wheels in motion that’s all.  But the hard work in all of this is yours, and yours alone” the executive praised as he tried to stifle a yawn ungraciously.

The younger man grabbed his boss’ hand and gave it a squeeze. “You need to go home to bed, you’re exhausted.  Drop me off at the next exit and I’ll get the bus back to my apartment”.

Jensen shook his head as he rubbed at his temples. “No, it’s okay.  I’ll drop you off at your apartment.  But yeah, I’ll be going straight to bed.  Not sure what’s wrong with me the past few days.  Just need an early night, that will sort me right out”.

Chloe was waiting up for Jared on the couch and leapt up as soon as he appeared in the doorway.

“You’re really early.  I wasn’t expecting you back for a while yet!” Chloe said. “I want to know everything”.

“Jensen was really tired.  I think I wore him out taking him around the city.  We had a great time though” Jared said as he flopped down in his chair. “Things are just perfect right now.  Really perfect”.

“That’s great, really great Jay.  I’m so happy for you.  I think I may even be warming to Mr Ackles you know.  If he makes you happy, then I’m happy!” Chloe said.

Jared smirked. “Great, how about a double date?” he asked jokingly.

Chloe shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. “Don’t push it Jay!”.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11-

 

The next morning Jensen was pacing his office very, very slowly, inhaling and exhaling slowly to ease the building nausea in his stomach.  His hand rubbed across his tummy which was gurgling and threatening to regurgitate itself.  He sipped at his glass of water, swallowing quickly to try and stop the retching.  His tie had been loosened and the top button of his shirt was undone.  When another wave of nausea attacked him, he doubled over his desk, not knowing whether to run to the bathroom down the hall or not, not even sure whether he would be able to make it or not anyway if he were going to be sick.  Just as he’s breathing through a series of cramps in his stomach, Jared walks in, bringing his morning muffin and cup of coffee.

“Morning!” Jared says happily, oblivious to his boss’ discomfort at first.

Jensen stood up straight and raised a hand feebly in acknowledgement as he took another sip of cold water.

Jared put the breakfast down onto the desk and then looked at the executive properly.  His face was as white as a sheet and he seemed to be sweating somewhat.  He didn’t look good at all. “You don’t look so good…”.

“I’m….okay” Jensen said as he blew out a long breath. “I’ve been, uh, puking my guts up since 4am.  Have you been ill by any chance? I’m thinking it was the lobster, it didn’t taste right when I was eating it”.

Shaking his head thoughtfully, Jared looked worriedly. “Nope.  I’ve been fine.  And I don’t think it’s food poisoning because I had exactly the same thing as you.  Different lobster, granted, so it might be possible. But then my mama has always said that I’ve got a stomach of steel and could digest anything.  I’m sorry, I’ve never had any problems with that place in the past before nor have I heard any bad reviews as yet”.

Jensen managed a weak smile. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault that….I’m sick” he said pausing as he swallowed back another wave of nausea.  He felt completely drained, so sat back down in his chair behind his desk.

“Why don’t you go home, take a day off? I’ll come over and check on you later on?” the young assistant suggested.

“No, it’s fine.  It’ll pass in a few hours, I’m sure.  I’ve got too much stuff to do.  Besides, I’ve not taken a day off sick in nearly 10 years” Jensen said stubbornly.

Jared put an arm around his boss. “Then maybe it’s about time you took a day off then.  You’re not well, you should be in bed resting”.

“Please don’t fuss Jared.  I told you, I’m too busy” Jensen said as he closed his eyes and put a hand over his mouth as he felt the nausea burning in the back of his throat.

“Okay.  Is there anything I can get you then? Do anything?” Jared pleaded.  He just wanted to make his boss feel better.

Jensen breathed out again heavily. “Just make sure that I’m not disturbed.  I can’t deal with anyone today, okay? Please.  Tell them I’m on a conference call all day or something, make something up but just make sure that I’m not disturbed”.

Jared nodded his head solemnly. “Oh right, okay. If there’s anything else you need or want, give me a shout okay. Can I…can I come back and check on you in a few hours?”.

“Yeah, if you must. I just don’t want anyone else coming in here to harass me that’s all.  I want you and Brad to carry on the work for the modelling agency. Is that alright?” the executive asked.

The young assistant nodded his understanding. “Yeah. Hope you feel better soon, I’ll leave you to it.  You know where to find me” he said as he made his way towards the door.

Jensen stuck his hand up in the air to show that he’d acknowledged the younger man.  The second that Jared was through the door, he hunched over the trash can by the side of his desk and threw up the rest of what was in his stomach.  Wiping his mouth and dabbing at it with a wad of tissues from his pocket, he put his head down on the desk and moaned as his stomach ached from the straining of retching.  Once the nausea passed and he was sure that he wasn’t going to be sick again, he slowly sat back up and reached out for his coffee and muffin.  He picked at a couple of crumbs and pulled out some blueberries and tried those first, not wanting to push his luck.  He managed two sips of his coffee before he binned that.  Yawning from his severe lack of sleep last night, he moved over to the reclining chair in the corner and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

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Jared was in the coffee room trying to work on new ideas for the modelling pitch but he couldn’t concentrate.  He kept thinking about Jensen and whether he felt better or not.  He would go and check in on him in a bit, maybe bring him some dry toast and ginger ale like his mom used to do with him when he’d had a bad stomach as a child.

Lois slammed down a pile of folders on the table, disturbing his concentration. “Can you give these to Mr Ackles please seeing as we’re not allowed to disturb him at all today! What’s the point in him being here if we’re not allowed to see him”.

Jared sighed. “I told you, he’s got a series of important conference calls today and he can’t be disturbed.  But I’ll be sure to pass these onto him later on”.

Folding her arms across her chest, Lois raises an eyebrow. “Okay, fine.  But I didn’t think he was scheduled for any calls today.  He said that he was going to go through these contracts with me.. It was nice of him to let me know himself” she huffed.

The young assistant moved the folders off his own pile of work. “Yeah well, something important came up so he’s had to deal with that first.  I’m sure he’ll be free tomorrow and at your disposal”.

Lois sighed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, I don’t know how you’ve put up with working for him so closely for so long.  I would have killed him months ago!!”.

Jared tried not to break into too big a smile. “Well….he’s not too bad.  I’m used to him now”.

“Yeah well, rather you than me, that’s for sure. Anyway, I’d better get cracking on this commercial, the deadline is midday tomorrow” the brunette woman said. “Remind Sir Ackles of that vital piece of information please!”.

“Yep sure will” Jared said just to humour the temperamental brunette.  After making more headway with his work, Jared couldn’t concentrate for any longer and he decided to head out for lunch, stopping off in the store on his way back.  Knocking tentatively on his boss’ door he opened the door a little when there was no answer.

Jensen was curled up on the reclining chair, fast asleep.  Jared was just about to leave the room and close the door again when he opened his eyes and rubbed them groggily.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.  I didn’t know you were sleeping, I wouldn’t have disturbed you otherwise. I just wanted to check how you were doing.  I’ll leave you in peace” the younger man said as he started to back out of the door.

“No…wait.  It’s okay” Jensen said as he got to his feet, a little wobbly at first but then got steadier as he took a few paces towards his desk.  He must have slept for a good few hours and he felt a lot better. “I’m feeling okay.  A little hungry actually….” he said as he rubbed his stomach.

Jared smiled and relaxed. “I actually brought you some things.  A bottle of ginger ale and some crackers.  Thought it might settle your stomach” he said putting them down on the desk. “A Padalecki tried and tested solution..”.

“That’s really thoughtful, thank you” Jensen said. Suddenly he caught a whiff of something delicious. “Mmmm….what can I smell? Cheese?”.

“Yeah.  I’ve got a cheese salad for lunch.” the assistant said.

Jensen moaned softly. “That sounds so good right now”.

Jared handed over the salad. “Here, take it”.

“No, I can’t eat your lunch, it’s fine.  I’ll start with the crackers, see how my stomach holds out” the older man said.

“No, really, have it.  I’ve already eaten, so take it” Jared insisted as he handed it over.

Jensen’s stomach rumbled, reminding him how eager it was to now receive food. He opened up the container and started to tuck into it hungrily. “Thank you”.

Jared grinned. “No worries, you’ve got more colour in your cheeks now.  I think you’re over the worst of it”.

“Yeah, I think so.  I hate being sick” Jensen admitted as he took another mouthful of salad, realising how amazing the cheese tasted.  He’d never been that fussed on the stuff in the past.

“Oh yeah, Lois has been bugging me all morning saying I needed to give you these folders.  She’s pissed with you because you were meant to be helping her with the contracts or something?” Jared said.

Jensen nearly choked on his food. “Crap, I totally forgot about that.  The deadline is tomorrow. I’d better go and help her out” he said as he put down his half eaten salad and fussed about with his tie. “That woman is like a bulldozer when she sets her mind to it, a proper liability.  I need to make sure she doesn’t screw up again…”.

“Woah, calm down, it’s okay” Jared said soothingly. “Let me” he said as he did up Jensen’s top button on his shirt and then proceeded to sort out his tie. “She can wait a few more minutes…”.

The executive put his hand on Jared’s and he instantly felt much calmer and relaxed. “I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life right now…”.

Jared kissed the hand on top of his. “You were doing just fine before I came along..”.

“But I’m doing so much better now though” Jensen admitted.

“Even though I gave you a bad case of salmonella” the assistant cringed.

Jensen laughed feebly. “I already forgive you for that.  But I’ve got to go and sort out this contract, so quit distracting me” he smiled.

Jared smoothed back Jensen’s hair into his corporate side parting and kissed him on the forehead.  “Okay”.

Someone knocked on the door. “Mr Ackles?” Lois shouted from the other side of the door.

The executive sighed and gathered some things from his desk. “Come in”.

The brunette opened the door cautiously. “I know you said that you weren’t to be disturbed, but…”.

Jensen painted a smile on his face. “It’s okay Lois.  I’ll meet you in the conference room in 5 minutes”.

Lois was prepared for some sort of fight or conflict, so she stayed tight lipped and then nodded her head and left.

The executive rubbed at his temples and then indicated towards the door. “I guess I’d better follow then”.

Jared put his hands in his pants pockets casually. “I’ll see you later”.  He could do nothing to stop himself grinning from ear to ear.

Jensen smiled back shyly and smacked his lips together.

 

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Jensen awoke the next morning and gazed blearily at his alarm clock.  It was 5.30am, half an hour before his alarm was scheduled to go off.  At first he wasn’t quite sure what had woken him up, until he sat up in bed and felt his stomach lurch.  Propelling himself up out of the bed, he launched himself into the en-suite bathroom and just about made it to the toilet before he was violently sick yet again, for the second morning in a row.

After composing himself for a few minutes, he shakily got to his feet and edged over to the sink where he washed his mouth out and splashed cold water on his face.  It was then he examined his complexion in the mirror.  His usual tanned face was pale and his hair was matted with sweat.  He looked just about as bad as he felt.

Breathing in and out slowly he staggered into the kitchen and headed over to the fridge.  But the thought of eating anything right just made his stomach more tumultuous.  Deciding against any food for now, he headed back into the bathroom where he got into the shower, turning up the temperature as hot as he could tolerate.

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The drive to work was awful for the executive.  His head swam and he struggled to hold off the nausea.  The elevator just added to his queasiness and when he arrived on the 10th floor just outside his office door he was struggling not to throw up.  The fact that he’d not even managed to attempt breakfast this morning probably did nothing to help his dizziness either.  Just as he was unlocking the door to his office, the elevator pinged open and his assistant came out holding his morning coffee and snack.

“Morning.  Are you feeling better today?” Jared asked.

Jensen opened the door and walked in, putting his briefcase down onto the floor.  He was feeling really hot and took off his jacket and opened up one of the windows to let in some fresh air. “Yeah, much better thank you” he lied. “What have you got for me today then?”.

Jared opened up his filo fax and scanned through the page for today. “Uh, nothing much, just that you’ve got a meeting with Mr. Saunders at 10am…..oh and the deadline for the commercial contracts is at 12pm, but I think Lois has pretty much taken care of that..”.

“Great” the older man said as enthusiastically as he could.

“I know that you usually like your chocolate muffin on a Tuesday, but I brought you some ginger cookies instead.  I figured your stomach is still a bit delicate after yesterday” Jared said as he handed them over.

“Thank you”. Jensen hadn’t had his caffeine fix yet this morning so he grabbed the cup of coffee and automatically took a sip.  It tasted absolutely foul and he regretted his actions the second the bitter taste entered his mouth.  He spat it out and slammed the plastic cup back down. “What the hell is this crap?!”.

Jared shrugged his shoulders. “Coffee, your usual”.

Jensen shook his head and shoved the cup as far away from him as he possibly could. “No, it’s not. This is disgusting, why would you bring me this, seriously?”.

The young assistant was taken aback by his boss’ sudden outburst.  He picked up the coffee and smelt it.  It smelt just fine to him. “I’ve got the same as you, and mine tastes just fine”.

“Just, just get it away from me now, please.  Get it out of my sight” the executive pleaded.  The taste was still caught in the back of his mouth.

Jared quickly picked up the cup. “Sorry” he said nervously. “Is there anything that….”.

“No!” Jensen said abruptly. “Just…I’ve got lots to do before this meeting at 10am. I need to get on with it” he said as he switched on his computer and picked up his PDA to see if any e-mails had come through.

The younger man knew not to push it anymore so he just slunk out of the door and closed it after him wondering what on earth he had done to cause his boss’ sudden outburst.

 

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Jensen was sat at his desk with a prospective client the other side.  He’d managed to eat one of the ginger cookies that Jared had brought him a couple of hours ago and it had settled his stomach somewhat.  He was trying to concentrate hard on what the other man was proposing but his mind just wasn’t on it.

Mr Saunders was a smartly dressed man in his late forties, and married if the wedding ring on his finger was anything to go by.  He was the CEO of one of the local supermarket chains and was trying to agree on the best price for an advertising campaign. “Obviously, Mr Ackles, I’d be honoured if you were to run the campaign, I’ve come to you first seeing as you’re the best in the business and the most renowned too”.

The door to his office opened and Jared snuck in with a plate of biscuits and some cups of coffee.  The assistant just laid out the plate of biscuits and the coffee down on the desk and glancing at Jensen to try and suss out his mood, he left slowly without uttering a word.

The smell of coffee hit Jensen’s nose the second it was put down in front of him and he put his hand just under his nose to try and shield out the worst of the smell.

The other CEO took a sip and nodded his head. “Mmmm, this is great coffee, very good indeed”.

Jensen managed a weak smile. “Yes, my assistant is very good to be fair to him”.  Suddenly the nausea in the back of throat intensified as another wave of caffeine hit him.  He got to his feet.

“Everything okay?” Mr Saunders asked as he took another sip from his mug.

“Yeah, I….excuse me for just a minute” the younger man said as he clasped his hand over his mouth and made a dash out the door, across the hall past his younger assistant and into the nearest restroom.

Jared peered around the corner into his boss’ office and apologised to the CEO. “I’ll just go and check on him. Make yourself comfortable sir and we’ll be back.  If there’s anything else that you need, just try the speakerphone”.

The older CEO just smiled and nodded his head. “No worries young man.  My compliments on the coffee”.

Smiling, Jared then ran down the corridor and entered the restrooms cautiously where one of the cubicle doors were closed.  He saw Jensen kneeling down on the floor and heard him retching over the toilet. “Jensen?”.

Jensen had finished for now and he slumped back against the toilet door, tears in his eyes. “Please, I’m fine, just leave me alone” he said wiping his eyes with a clean tissue.

Jared knocked tentatively on the door. “It’s okay, please just let me in”.

“No, I don’t want anyone to see me like this.  Please just go away” Jensen begged. His stomach now ached more than ever. “Please tell Mr Saunders that I’ll be out in just a moment”.

“Please don’t push me away…” Jared pleaded. “I’m worried about you….”.

“Just go…” Jensen said as he hugged his knees and fought to hold back the tears.  When he heard the sound of footsteps retreating, he felt guilty at snapping at the man he cared for yet again.  Right now he was having a hard time keeping his emotions intact.  He was all over the place and he had no idea why.  Getting up off the cold floor he opened the door and sighed in relief at the empty bathroom.  Tidying himself up again, he put a fake smile on his face and strode back into his office confidently.  Holding his breath he moved his coffee to the other side of the room before sitting back down in his chair.  He was glad that his potential client had finished his beverage. “Right, sorry about that, now where were we….” he said as he shuffled through some paperwork and straightened up his tie and carried on as normal.

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Jared had reluctantly kept out of his boss’ way for the rest of the day.  He couldn’t think what he’d done wrong.  One minute things had been great between them and now things were suddenly very strained.  He was pouring himself a large glass of red wine when Chloe came in from work, apron still on around her waist.  She’d brought some left over pasta from the restaurant and some chocolate brownie cake.

“Hey Jay! I managed to get one of your favourites tonight” the petite blonde said cheerfully.

“Great” he said glumly.

Chloe sensed something was wrong with her best friend instantly.  Usually she’d be greeted a lot more friendly than this and especially when food was involved. “What’s up? Wait, let me guess, trouble in paradise?”.

Jared scoffed. “Yeah, how did you guess?”.

“Because I know you too well hon. Do you wanna talk about it?” Chloe asked.

Jared just shrugged his shoulders and started to drink from his glass of wine, downing nearly half of it in one go before Chloe stopped him.

“Hey come on, slow down!” Chloe said as he she prised the glass from his hand. “Whatever’s gone on, there’s nothing that can’t be solved by just sitting down and talking to him”.

He couldn’t keep it in for any longer. “I just don’t understand.  Everything was perfect between us the other night.  I mean, things couldn’t be any better, you know? And now he’ll barely look at me let alone speak to me.  I have no idea what I’ve done wrong!”.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Come on Jay, you know how fickle and temperamental that man is.  He’s not consistent now is he? Just speak to him in the morning, seriously!”.

Jared sighed.  His best friend was right, she was always right in fact. “Okay, fine.  I’m starving, what’ya got for us?”.

“You’re sooo easy to break Jay” Chloe laughed as she unloaded the food from the bag and started sharing it out onto plates.

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When Jensen didn’t show up for work the next morning, Jared’s worry only increased tenfold.  There was something going on and he wanted to know what.  He dialled the numbers on his cell and sighed when it went straight to the answerphone.  He’d never rang Jensen’s house phone before, so he contemplated hanging up, but when the beep sounded he decided to leave a message.

“Jensen? I know you’re there….just…just let me know that you’re okay, please? I’ll stop bugging you and calling you if you like….but just let me know that you’re okay..” Jared spoke softly down the phone.

After hanging up, he strolled into the coffee room where everyone was coffee-ing up for the busy day ahead.

Brad signalled to Jared. “Hey, morning? Is Jensen in yet?”.

Jared cleared his throat and tried to act as normal as possible. “I think he’s got some meeting or something the other side of town this morning.  He should be in later on.  He never tells me everything in his schedule…”.  the assistant said as he sat down at the table and started to read the morning paper but keeping half an eye on his phone hoping that Jensen would ring him back and say that he was just leaving now, or was just running late or something.  The more time that lapsed, the chances of that happening were looking less and less likely.

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Jensen was sitting down on his bathroom floor when he heard his phone ring. It was Jared checking up on him.  He smiled when he heard his voice, but at the same time, he couldn’t face hearing it.  When he’d started feeling ill nearly a week ago, numerous things had gone through his head. Stress, exhaustion etc.  But yesterday the penny had finally dropped when he added up the dizzy spells, nausea and vomiting and the sudden aversion to the mere smell of his favourite morning beverage.

In his hand was a pregnancy test, and a few more lay on the floor.  Each one told the same story.  The most recent one that he was holding had turned pink after only 30 seconds and it was meant to take at least 2 minutes.

Just when things were going good in his life, his business re-establishing itself and now Jared had come along and he was starting to fall madly, deeply in love with him.  He even imagined him in his future.  His mind couldn’t register anything more other than the little white sticks looking up at him mockingly. Now everything was ruined.

He never wanted kids, not after the way his parents had raised him.  It just wasn’t on his agenda, they wouldn’t fit into his lifestyle.  He couldn’t stand other people’s children so why would he feel any different about having his own?  At least with other people’s you could hand them back over when they started crying.

He threw the stick down onto the floor with the others and gathered them up, throwing them straight into the trash.  He couldn’t bear to look at them anymore.  Out of nowhere, he burst into tears, bitter drops of tears flowing down his face and soaking into his t-shirt.  Once he started crying, he wasn’t able to stop.  He started to punch his legs in anger, frustrated at how he let himself get pregnant.  He was always so careful.

Once he’d exhausted himself from crying he just rocked back and forth on his heels, hugging his arms around his knees.  Something soft brushed up against him and purred.

Lucy could sense her distressed owner and curled up next to him.

Jensen sniffed and laughed. “Hey baby girl.  I’m okay, everything’s going to be okay” he said smoothing her and holding her tightly, pulling her into his arms as he continued to sob quietly.

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Jared was sitting in the board room all ready as he waited for his boss to make an appearance.  He never showed up yesterday and he hadn’t heard from him either.  Every time someone walked in through the door he got his hopes up, but then when it was just one of his colleagues he sighed with disappointment.  Today was the big budget meeting and Jensen had to make it in for this.  

Jensen strolled into the room cautiously trying to avoid eye contact with everyone until it was absolutely necessary.  He took small sips from a bottle of ice cold mineral water.  He’d been nibbling on ginger biscuits all morning to stave off hunger pangs and alleviate the nausea.  He’d only thrown up twice this morning since waking up.  Now he knew what was wrong, he could hide it better.  It didn’t make the situation any easier on him.  His anger hadn’t waned in the slightest.

On seeing his boss, Jared leapt up from the chair instantly.  More of his colleagues had entered the room and were conversing at the back  helping themselves to coffee, tea and breakfast pastries. “Jensen” he whispered, grabbing his arm.

“Not now Jared” Jensen spoke softly back as he looked up to make sure that no-one was watching their conversation.  He put a hand over his stomach protectively, unconsciously aware that he was doing it.

“Please.  Are you okay? I’ve been really worried about you.  I think that we need to talk about this.  I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong” Jared pleaded.

Jensen closed his eyes and held onto the table as a wave of dizziness assaulted him from no-where. “You’ve done nothing wrong Jared.  But please, let’s not do this right now, okay? I’ve got to do this meeting in 5 minutes”.  He took another gulp of water and exhaled slowly as the giddiness passed as soon as it came.

“I want to do this now. Because I don’t want you to shut me out anymore.  Please Jensen” Jared said, raising his voice slightly.

“Ssssh!” Jensen warned. “Just not now.  We’ll talk later, okay.  I promise” he said as he pushed Jared’s arm off him not to raise any suspicion.

Jared relented. “Okay” he said as he went to sit back down.

The executive waited for the rest of his staff to arrive and then he gathered them all up and began the meeting.  The first 20 minutes went fine and he was holding up okay until another bout of dizziness caused him to clutch onto the edge of the table again.  He carried on regardless, pointing at the whiteboard and the scribbles he’d written on it.  He’d abandoned the white board marker a while back because even the smell of that was making him nauseous. “So, our figures are up from last month.  Well up, in fact. So you’ll all be getting your bonuses again this month plus the 2.5% cost of living pay rise”.

There was a general hum of approval around the room.

Jensen took a step forward and stumbled slightly.  He could see his assistant looking at him from the corner of his eye, but he tried to ignore it.

Mike perked up. “Are you okay, Mr A?” he asked.

Jensen just glared at the man for using an unaccepted addressing of his name. “Yeah I’m fine.  I’m just a little warm.  Can someone open a window please?” he asked, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar.  He just had to survive another few minutes then he could relent to his office and get some privacy.

Brad was the closest to the window and he got to his feet and opened it as wide as it could go.

Jared was watching his boss like a hawk.  He seemed to be holding onto the desk for dear life.  The colour in his cheeks was being drained away rapidly.

“We’ve got a few more big campaigns that we need to…..secure” Jensen continued valiantly as he fought to stay vertical. He paused to take in a few deep breaths of oxygen and stumbled slightly.  He loosened his tie as it suddenly felt tight and constricting around his neck.

One of the commercial girls piped up. “Are you okay sir? Do you need a chair, or a glass or water?”.

The executive shook his head. “I’m okay. I’ve just not eaten anything this morning yet that’s all” he said before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor with a thump.

Jared was straight out of his chair again and ran over to his boss. “Mr Ackles?” he shouted, shaking him to try and rouse him.

Everyone else got up out of their chairs and a crowd formed around their boss looking on worriedly.

“Everyone, please step back and give him some air, please” Jared shouted. “And someone call 911 right now!” he said taking control as everyone else just stared on helplessly.

The crowd suddenly dispersed and Jared whispered to his boss. “Jensen? Come on, open your eyes” he said as he undid the first two top buttons on his shirt and gently shook his arm.

After a minute or so, the executive slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up straight away, but groaned and fell back down as he felt dizzy again. “Get everyone out….please” he said softly to his assistant.  He could see everyone looking at him and it was embarrassing that he’d keeled over in front of a room full of his employees.

Jared looked around the room at the last remaining people. “He’s okay, everyone please leave, we’ll be fine.  He just needs some peace and quiet. Go…” he said watching as the room emptied and the door closed behind them.

“Water….” Jensen managed to squeak out as he tried again to sit up. This time, Jared put his hand behind his shoulders and assisted him to sit up.  He then reached out for the bottle of water on the desk and handed it over to Jensen who started to sip from it slowly.  He retched and clasped his hand over his mouth for a second. Jared held out the trash can for him ready, but when the feeling subsided he shook his head. “It’s fine….”.

“We’ve called an ambulance for you” the younger man said.

Jensen’s eyes went wide and he grabbed his assistant’s arm in a panic. “No. No, no, no, I don’t need an ambulance.  I know what’s wrong….I just….I’ve not eaten anything.  I just fainted that’s all. Passed out….I‘m fine now, honestly”.

“Okay, don’t worry. No ambulance” Jared said reassuringly. “Can I get you anything to eat?”.

“In the drawer over there. There’s some ginger biscuits” Jensen said as he put his head in hands and closed his eyes.  Jared had a right to know, now, before things got even more intense between them.  This was going to be hard enough as it was now.

Jared fumbled around in the drawer and found the half opened packet of biscuits and sat back down on the floor next to his boss. “Here you go” he said handing them over.

Jensen smiled and took one of the biscuits and started to nibble on the corner of one of them. Sighing, he said “I’m pregnant…” sheepishly.

It took Jared a few moments for the news to reach his brain to process. “Uh, what?”.

“You heard me…” the older man said as he got to his feet slowly.

The assistant jumped to his feet to help. “I know….but….it’s not possible, right? We used protection, I’m sure of it…you can‘t be”.

The executive started to pace around the room.  He was struggling to regain control of his emotions. Fighting back tears had never been harder.  At least now he could blame his hormones for everything. “I know…that’s why….God why is this so hard…the baby might not be yours” he finished and looked away towards the open window.  The disappointment on Jared’s face would be too hard to face.  Or maybe he’d even be relieved because he probably hadn’t counted on being a father so soon in a relationship.  Either way, he didn’t want to see the other man’s face.  The traffic outside the window rushed past quickly, people crossed the street.  Life was going on as normal outside, whilst his own life seemed to have stopped for a few seconds.

Jared put his hand over his mouth and exhaled slowly.  Just as things were going so great between them, he had been dealt the biggest blow ever. “Right…so you slept with someone else….whilst….we were together then? I mean , is that why you didn‘t want people to know about us yet? Because we‘re not in an established relationship? So you can still sleep around with other people?”.

Jensen turned around to look at the taller man in the eyes. “No…before we got together…I’d never have done that to you…you’ve got to believe that…we are together Jared.  There‘s no-one else….I promise…I‘ve not cheated”.

For the young assistant, this was just like with Patrick all over again and he just saw red.  The infidelity.  Of course Jensen had slept with other men, why wouldn’t he have done.  He didn’t even know what they were right now, whether they were even in an established relationship or not. “I’m sorry…I’ve got to go…” he said freaking out.

“No, please don’t go Jared.  Please don’t leave me” Jensen begged as he felt some tears betray him and start to fall from his eyes.

Jared walked towards the door, his own eyes moist with betrayal and hurt. “I’m sorry….”.

Jensen was too exhausted to even think about following his assistant.  Punching his hand down onto the desk in frustration, he composed himself and picked up his cell phone and dialled a number from a piece of paper that was stuffed into his jacket pocket. “Hi, I’d like to make an appointment please.  For as soon as possible. Half an hour? Yeah, that‘s perfect, I‘ll see you then”.

He hung up the phone.  He needed to know one way or another.  His life had been turned upside down in a matter of moments.  He had never counted on having a family, it was never on his agenda.  Now he’d had just that and lost it in an instant.

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Jared ran.  Just ran down the numerous flights of stairs until he was stood outside on the sidewalk, looking up at his company’s building.  The sign on the top of the building blinked back ‘Ackles Advertising’.  

He inhaled deeply and allowed as much of the cool, frigid air to enter his lungs as possible.  Revelling in the iciness in his chest and how it stung, almost numbing, not allowing him to feel, he ran, just continued to run.


	12. Chapter 12

Chloe was working her shift at the restaurant.  She was setting the tables ready for the lunchtime rush in an hour or so.  She went to serve a couple of customers on the table in the corner. “What can I get for you?” she asked politely as she pulled out her notepad and pen.

The man and woman both perused the menu and placed their orders.  She went behind the bar and started to make up the coffee pot when her attention was turned to the bell ringing on the door as someone rushed in, looking slightly worse for wear. It was Jared.

Jared ran up to the counter, panting, red face and blotchy eyes. “Chloe…I need to talk to you now, please”.

Wiping her hands on her apron, the blonde turned to one of her colleagues. “Jenny, can you take care of this order for me, please.  Crisis…”.

The other woman just nodded her head kindly and took over making up the coffee.

Chloe walked around to the other side of the counter and took her best friend by the arm and to the back of the restaurant, where there were some empty tables. “Jesus Jay, have you really just run 10 blocks from the office”.

Jared just nodded his head. “Yeah” he said breathlessly.

“What’s wrong?” she asked before wrapping her arms around him and giving him the biggest hug ever. “I guess you talked to Jensen then hon? It’s okay….sssshhh” she soothed.

“Yeah” Jared said pulling away and breaking free from their hug. “I don’t know what to do Chloe.  I need you to tell me what to do here…”.

Chloe smiled sympathetically. “Okay, but you need to tell me what’s wrong first of all”.

Jared just cut to the chase. “Jensen’s pregnant…”.

“Oh….” the blonde said as her face fell. “O-kay. I guess we know who topped there then” she giggled for which she received a blow to her arm.

“This is not funny Chlo.  The baby might not even be mine” Jared said. Saying it out aloud was just another crushing blow to him. “I don’t know what to do.  He says that he never cheated on me that it was before….I just freaked out and ran….I don‘t know if I should believe him…I don‘t know what to do…..”.

“Do you love him?” Chloe asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Jared stopped and thought about the answer for a few moments. “I…I think so…I do…”.

Chloe smiled and put her hand on top of her best friend’s hand. “Then you’ve got your answer haven’t you…”.

 

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Jared caught a cab back to the office half an hour later.  He needed to tell Jensen something, needed to speak to him right away.  Unsurprisingly he found that the board room was empty.  He was about to venture up to the 10th floor to see if his boss was in his office when a piece of paper on the desk caught his attention.  It was written in Jensen’s handwriting.  Sitting down at the desk, he logged onto the computer and opened up the internet browser. He quickly typed in the telephone number. The search came back with several links, all for the same place. An Ob/Gyn Office the other side of town. “Shit….”.  

Scribbling down the address, he leapt up from the chair and dialled for another cab and headed off in pursuit of his boss.

 

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Jensen was sat nervously in the Dr’s office, chewing on his fingernails.  They had just done a pregnancy test on him and he was sitting waiting nervously for the results.  The room was full of pregnancy posters and advice.  He had never wanted kids before, never cared for having a family of his own because of the way his own family had let him down.  But then that was before Jared entered his life.

Dr Green was a woman in her late thirties.  She walked back into the office holding out a chart and went to sit down on the other side of the desk. “There’s no doubt that you’re pregnant Mr Ackles.  In fact your HcG levels are significantly raised, which suggests that you’re quite far along”.

Silently cursing to himself, Jensen tried to hold it together. He had always been careful with the escorts that he was with.  Protection was the highest priority for this reason. “How far along exactly? I need to know..”. If the baby wasn’t Jared’s would he get rid of it? Would Jared even stick with him if it was his and would he still get rid of it?”.

“We’ll do a scan in just a moment.  We just need to establish some dates from you.  Possible dates of conception?” the Doctor quizzed him.

Jensen had all of the dates written down in his diary. “Well, the last time was…a week before Christmas, the 18th.  And then a couple of weeks before that, and then a couple of weeks before that…”.

The physician smiled. “Okay, so you could be anything from about 6 weeks, to 10 or 12 weeks, right?”.

“Yes…” the executive said, avoiding the physician’s gaze. “Or more….”.

“Okay, take your shirt and pants off, put this gown on and get up onto the examining couch when you’re ready” she said handing him a beige gown and closing the curtains around him.

“I’m ready” Jensen announced a few minutes later when he was changed and lying supine on the table.  He felt very exposed and vulnerable.  He just wanted this ordeal over and done with.  He flinched when he felt a blood pressure strap tightening around his arm.

Dr Green made a hum or approval. “Okay, blood pressure looks good.  You’re in good condition”.

“Despite my age?” Jensen asked, trying for a little giggle to ease his apprehension.

“33 is absolutely fine, don’t you worry.  I’m going to keep a good eye on you, okay?” the physician reassured.

Jensen smiled nervously.

“Are you ready to see your baby?” she asked, zooming in on the screen because the baby was likely to be quite small.

“Yeah” the executive said, looking away at first, but then intrigued when he felt the transducer rolling around on his flat stomach and saw a flicker of light on the screen in the corner of his eye.

Dr Green clicked a few buttons on the keyboard and froze the screen, turning it around so her patient could see it better. “There’s your baby” she announced as she started to take some measurements.

Jensen gasped and put a hand over his mouth.  It was only a dot, the size of a grape perhaps but it was his baby.  The family that he’d never planned for or wanted, but now wouldn’t change it for the world. “That’s my baby?” he clarified.

“Yep.  That’s your baby.  It looks to be no more than 6 weeks along.  I would estimate the conception date to be between the 15th and 20th of December” the physician announced.

“Are you sure?” Jensen asked happily as he broke into a smile. The baby was Jared’s.  There was absolutely no doubt about it now, it was Jared’s baby.  His smile just intensified when he realised that.  He couldn’t look away from the tiny speck on the screen, mesmerised by it in fact. There was no way that he would be getting rid of this baby.  It was love at first sight.  All of his thoughts about not wanting children ever, changed in a matter of a few moments.

The physician nodded her head. “Positive.  It doesn’t account for your high levels of HcG though, but that’s okay, it just means that your body has reacted wonderfully to the pregnancy. That puts your due date at 10th September”.

Jensen was still in a trance.  He felt guilty for even thinking about wanting to terminate the pregnancy.

“I’m just going to check out the rest of your abdomen, just routine” the physician said as she zoomed out on the screen, rolling the tracker ball on the keyboard. “Oh my God…”.

Jensen sat up in alarm his joy was suddenly short lived. “What, what’s wrong?”.

Smiling, the Doctor turned the screen around for the executive so he could see it better. “Well nothing’s wrong exactly.  It all depends on how you feel about it. It’s twins. I guess you’re looking at a due date more around August time now”.

The executive collapsed back onto the examining couch and passed out for the second time that day.

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“Jensen!” Jared screamed as he came running in through the door of the clinic.

The Receptionist looked up from her desk and raised an eyebrow. “Uh, can I help you sir?”.

Jared got his breath back. “Is there is a Mr Jensen Ackles here? I know that he is…”.

“I can’t let you through sir” the ageing women behind the desk said.

“So he is here then?” the young assistant asked.

The woman remained calm. “I didn’t say that.  I can’t tell you either way.  We take patient confidentiality very, very seriously”.

“I know, but please!” Jared pleaded. “Jensen!” he shouted once again.

“Sir, if you don’t leave right now then I’m going to have to call security.  And I don’t think that you want it to come to that now do you?”.

Jared surrendered and backed down. “Fine.  I’ll just sit here and wait for him then” he said as he went over to sit down in the one of the chairs by the main entrance.

“I don’t think so.  You have no reason to be on these premises.  I’m giving you one last chance or I’m calling security” the receptionist said as her finger lingered over the security call button.

“Alright” Jared said throwing his hands up in surrender. “I’m going right now” he said as he left the clinic and stumbled onto the sidewalk.  He hoped that his outburst hadn’t lead Jensen to making any rash decisions.

 

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When Jensen returned from the clinic an hour later he found Jared sitting outside his office, slumped back against the wall.  The Doctor had made sure that he had come around from his state of shock sufficiently before letting him go.  She had sent him away with some medication to help ease the severe morning sickness and had given him another appointment for 6 weeks time. He had heard the words ‘high-risk pregnancy’ been mentioned and that they needed to proceed with extreme caution.  Anything else after that, he’d blanked out.

“Hey” Jared said awkwardly.

Jensen unlocked his office and left it open as he walked in and took a seat at his desk.  He grabbed a bottle of water and took some of the anti-emetics he had been given in the hope that they would work soon.  He didn’t have the energy to run to the bathroom to be sick.

“Should you be taking those?” Jared asked when he appeared in the doorway.  He shut the door behind him.

“They’re fine” Jensen answered in a monotonous voice. “For the nausea..”.

Jared fiddled with his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. “So…I…I came to apologise.  For freaking out.  But I don’t care…”.

“Yeah…you made that one obvious” Jensen scoffed as he rubbed his temples. He wasn’t in the mood for this.

“No, you don’t understand.  I don’t care if I’m not the father.  If the baby’s not mine, I don’t mind, I’ll help you raise it.  I think….I’m falling in love with you Jensen..” the assistant admitted.

Jensen sat there open mouthed.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s too soon.  But I’m serious about you.  I want us to raise this baby together, don’t push me away” the assistant said pleadingly.

Getting to his feet, Jensen pulled out an envelope from his front pocket and threw it down onto the table. “It’s yours.  The baby’s yours Jared. I told you that I didn‘t cheat on you….” he said as he smoothed down the front of his jacket.

Jared laughed in surprise. “What? Are you sure? But I thought that you said that…really?”.

Jensen pushed the envelope closer to his assistant. “Check the dates on there if you don’t believe me.  That Christmas party has got a lot to answer for”.

“We’re having a baby? I mean….you’re keeping it?” Jared checked.

 “Obviously I don’t expect anything from you at all.  It’s a lot to take on.  Financially there’s no worries there, I wouldn‘t expect you to contribute to anything .  You could just be like a sperm donor and take a back seat if you like” the executive said as he walked around the room. “I mean we’ve not been together long…..if you want to break it off then you can.  I‘m giving you a way out now if you want…”.

“Sperm donor? That’s all you think of me as? Did you not hear me? I love you.  This is my baby too, of course I want to be involved!” Jared said incredulously.

Jensen‘s face remained emotionless. “Well…in that case then.  I guess that we’re having a baby”.

Jared relaxed. “Yeah…we are.  Wow! I‘m sorry that I accused you of cheating me on.  It‘s just my last boyfriend had been playing me and took me for a fool.  He was seeing someone behind my back.  I just…..freaked when you said the baby might not be mine….what was I meant to think?”

The executive drank the rest of his water in one. “Not all men are the same, you know?”.

“I know….” Jared said.

“But I’m only 6 weeks…I believe it’s customary not to tell anyone else until you’re at least 12 weeks.  That might be easier said than done” the executive said as he put a hand on his abdomen and wondered how much longer it would stay this flat for given that he was carrying two babies.  He wandered over to the door and went to open it.

“Wait….where are you going?” the assistant asked.

Jensen scoffed. “Uh….bathroom….again” he said quietly, his cheeks flushing red. “Apparently just one of the little joys that I’ve got to look forward to in the upcoming 8 months or so”. That was another symptom that had plagued him in recent days that had tipped him off that something was wrong with him.  He was used to going all day without a bathroom break but he found that in the past week or so he’d have to take several in a day.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way on this, okay” Jared said as he put his arms around Jensen protectively and cupped his stomach.

“Not too hard…” Jensen said in a strained voice. “I’ll be back in 2 minutes.  You should really look in the envelope” he hinted with a glint in his eyes.

Jared let go of his boss and picked up the envelope, opening it up carefully as if to protect whatever was inside although he had an idea what it was.

Before Jensen left the room completely, he poked his head back through the door. “By the way….we’re having twins….”.

By the time it registered with Jared, he found that he was staring at the piece of paper in front of him.  He wasn’t sure what the black and white wavy lines meant until he found himself looking at two distinct blobs.  His babies.  His and Jensen’s.  Putting the scan photo back into the envelope, he followed his boss down the hall and into the restroom.

Jensen came out of the cubicle, and jumped when he saw his assistant standing there. “Jesus..” he said, putting his hand over his chest.

Jared winced apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.  So, twins? You know, they run in my family…”.

“Ha, now you tell me..” the executive said as he began washing his hands. “We’ve got to stop meeting in bathrooms like this…this is kinda how you got me pregnant, remember?”.

Smirking, Jared inched closer. “You followed me into the bar restroom if I remember correctly”.

Jensen dried his hands and leant back against the counter, putting his hand across his stomach.

“Are you okay?” Jared asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  It’s just been a long day.  I just want to sleep” Jensen admitted as he yawned. “Look…I know this is a lot for you to take in…like I said, there’s no obligation for you to stick around.  You’re too young to take on a family…”.

Jared shook his head. “I’m not bailing on this, I told you, I’m serious.  I’m with you on this every step of the way”.

Jensen admired the younger man’s loyalties. “I’m sorry…I’m…tired…I just need time to think this through okay?”.

“Think things through? What do you mean? Are you going to go through with this pregnancy?” the younger man asked, panic rising in his voice.

“I…” the executive said solemnly. “I need to go home.  I really can’t think about anything right now…I’m sorry” he said as he stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Jared rooted to the spot, wondering what else he could do or say.

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Jensen was sat on his couch watching television, wrapped up in a blanket in his sweats and t-shirt, eating a bowl of cereal early evening when the buzzer on his intercom went.  He wasn’t expecting anyone.  The only person who came to his apartment was Loretta and she wasn’t expected until tomorrow.  Getting to his feet slowly, he put his bowl down onto the coffee table and picked up the intercom phone. “Hello?”.

Jared was stood outside, speaking into the speaker, holding a book open in his hands. “Okay, so week 6, your babies are developing quite rapidly.  During this time, their brains, livers, kidneys, and extremities are all beginning to develop.  In the next 2 weeks they’ll double in size to become the size of two grains of rice each….”.  He was about to turn over the page to continue reading when the door clicked open.  Opening it, he took the elevator to the top floor where Jensen was stood at the entrance of his apartment, arms folded across his chest.  He had never seen him dressed down before.  By the looks of his hair, he’d been sleeping. “Hey.  Can I come in?” he asked, book still in his hand and carrying two brown paper bags with his free hand.

“What are you doing here?” the executive asked as he stood aside and let the other man in, before closing the door.

“Bringing you some things. You’re going to have to start looking after yourself now.  No more alcohol, no coffee, cut down on the pastries and muffins” Jared said as he put down the bags on the nearest table he could find.

Jensen hugged his arms around his chest tighter and was curious. “You’re really not selling this to me very well…”. He’d been given the leaflets by the clinic but as he was still in denial somewhat, so he had put them to one side.

Jared started to pull some of the groceries out of the bag one at a time. “Cheese salad, you seemed to enjoy that the other day.  Fresh orange juice, fruit, vegetables, chicken, rice.  They are apparently easier to digest.  I’ve also got you some assortment of different teas for you to try.  There’s ginger, peppermint, chamomile, raspberry.  Try them out and see what you’d prefer”. The tabby cat walked up to Jared cautiously, sniffing him out. “Oh hey puss.  I got you something too” he said as he pulled out a toy mouse and threw it across the floor for her.

“Her name’s Lucy” Jensen said, breaking his silence again.  He smiled when his cat started pouncing on the mouse and dug her claws into it. “Seriously….what’s all of this for?”.

“Me showing you that I’m totally serious about this….about you.  Please give me a chance to prove that to you” Jared said. “Please go through with this pregnancy….”.

Jensen closed his eyes and rubbed at them.  When he opened them again, Jared had moved an inch closer to him, his eyes sparkling back expectantly. “I think I love you too” he whispered, too afraid to speak any louder for fear of cursing it. “And I think I want to give this a go…”.

Jared pressed his forehead to Jensen’s and smiled. “Okay…the pregnancy, or us?”.

“Both.  So what else does your book say then?” the executive said as he pulled away.  A smile breaching the corners of his mouth.

The younger man picked up the book and scanned through the next page or so. “That it’s okay that you’re going to be feeling whacked out and emotional.  But to rest when you can and listen to your body” he said glancing at the other man, who looked like he still hadn’t come to terms with the day’s revelations.

Jensen shook his head amusedly.  “I’m the CEO of a major company.  I can’t just rest when I can and get emotional over the smallest of things….I don‘t do emotional and drama queens and I‘m not going to be turning into one either…”.

Jared’s face oozed with reassurance. “Yes you can.  I’m your assistant, remember? That’s my job description, right? To pander to your every whim?” he smirked. “You’ve got to let me take more of your burdens.  Delegate.  You don’t need the stress, you’ve got two more people to think about now you‘re going to become a father”.  He put his hand over Jensen’s tummy.

Jensen flinched at the touch first of all and moved his hand over to Jared’s, but before he went to push it off, he realised he liked the touch and pressed the hand in harder and cupping his own over the top of it. “Thank you…” he said as he tried to stifle a yawn. “How are you so calm about all of this? I’ve been freaking out about this so much since I found out.  I even passed out in the doctor’s office…”.

Shrugging his shoulders Jared smiled. “I don’t know, because it just feels so right I think.  You’re exhausted, I’m going to leave you now.  Get some sleep.  And don’t worry about that meeting first thing, okay? I’ve re-scheduled it for the afternoon, so if you get sick in the morning don’t worry about it” Jared said. “Just make it in whenever you’re able to.  And don’t hesitate to call me….for anything.  Baby related or not…”.

When Jared left, Jensen looked out the window and watched him walk down the street to the bus stop.  He sorted through the assortment of different teas and decided to give the chamomile tea a try.  It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was.  Maybe he could sacrifice giving up caffeine for a few months.  Jared’s words from earlier resonated in his mind. “Father”.  He was going to be a father.  As he lay in bed, he lifted up his shirt and ran his hand tentatively over the soft flesh of his stomach where he knew that somewhere, his tiny babies were growing.  His and Jared’s.  He had never smiled so wide in his life- and there was nothing fake about it either.  
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Jensen came into work by his usual time the next morning.  He was carrying a cardboard box in his arms and his briefcase over one shoulder.

Jared caught him in the corridor just before he boarded the elevator. “You shouldn’t be carrying anything heavy like that.  Give it here….” he said as he held out his hands.

The executive closed the elevator doors and sighed as he passed the box over. “It’s okay, it’s not that heavy…”.

“I know….but you need to be careful!” Jared cautioned.

“Jared…please” Jensen said as he closed his eyes and put his hand over his face.

“Feeling okay?” the young assistant asked his boss worriedly.

Jensen exhaled slowly and ran out as soon as the elevator doors flew open. “Feel like I’m sea sick or something. I don’t understand why someone would voluntarily want to put themselves through this…it‘s insanity…”.

Jared paused when they reached the executives office.  He looked around cautiously to make sure that they were alone. “I thought that you were…..happy about it? Albeit shocked and unplanned…”.

“I am…I guess.  I just need some more time to adjust to it. I never wanted kids and now I’m having two at the same time.  It’s a big deal Jared.  You can walk away whenever you like but I’m going to be stuck with this” Jensen admitted as he sat down tiredly behind his desk.

“We’re in this together remember? We’re giving this a go? It’s all agreed” the younger man said as he put the box down onto the desk.  He went over to the other man and put his arms around him to let him know that he wasn’t alone in this.

Jensen smiled weakly. “I know.  We are…I just….just need some time to adjust and to take things slowly, okay? I’m not pushing you away, I just need some space”.

Jared withdrew his arms and nodded his head in understanding. “I understand, it’s okay.  As long as you know that I’m with you every step of the way.  Every bout of sickness, every craving, every doctor’s appointment…I mean, that’s if you want me there of course”.

“I do.  I’m going to need you more than ever. But every bout of sickness? Really? You want to see me like that, all gross?” Jensen winced. “I hate being sick, so that’s something I don’t ever want anyone to see me do to be honest”.

“I can’t ever imagine that you’ll ever look gross.  But you know what I mean though.  I’m sharing the responsibility with you” the young assistant stated. “But let me know when it’s too much and I’ll back off”.

Jensen smiled. “Thank you” he said but with an uncomfortable look about him.

“What’s wrong?” the younger man enquired.

“I….just… can I be honest with you?” the executive asked shyly.

Jared nodded his head. “Yeah sure.  You can tell me anything…”.

“I’m scared.  I mean the doctor has said that this is a high risk pregnancy.  There’s just so many things that can go wrong that’s all.  I’m worried” the executive admitted.

“Don’t.  Let me worry for you, okay? Now what can I get you?” Jared asked his boss.

Jensen smiled, but still couldn’t shake his apprehension from his mind. “Uh, just a couple of crackers and a mug of ginger tea.  I don’t think my stomach is up to much right now”.

“Coming right up.  And don’t worry about that meeting this afternoon, Mike and Brad have got that one covered so you just stay right put here in your office and catch up on answering your emails or something, okay?” the younger man ordered.

“Hey! Who made you boss?” Jensen argued as he folded his arms across his chest and tried to act serious and stoical.

Jared just grinned and walked out of the office, chucking to himself.

Jensen watched his assistant leave with an amused expression on his face.  Once he heard him step into the elevator, he leant back in his chair, accessed his email account , opened up his first unread email and began to answer it.

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	13. Chapter 13

When Jared swung the door open to his apartment, he could hear the sound of his best friend and a male companion which he knew to be Jimmy, giggling manically to themselves along with the sound of a cork popping from a bottle.

Chloe ran right up to her friend and removed his coat, throwing it down onto the couch. “You are just in time….” she said.

Jared looked at the other man in the room holding three wine glasses and a bottle of champagne in his hands. “Uh…in time for what? Are we celebrating or something?”.

Jimmy poured out the champagne and handed over a glass to Chloe and Jared. “We are indeed.  Me and Chloe have an announcement to make”.

The petite blond slapped her boyfriend across the top of his head playfully. “We agreed that I would tell him the news…”.

Jared looked suspiciously at his best friend. “An announcement? Oh….are you….are you pregnant too? I think there’s going to be enough babies in my life right now to deal with….but if you are…then…wait, you shouldn’t be drinking champagne in your condition” he said as he went to remove the wine glass from the blonde’s hand.

Chloe shook her head and pulled the glass back towards her. “I’m not pregnant Jay” she said as she held out her hand to show a sparkling ring on her left hand. “Jimmy proposed to me and I said yes”.

Jimmy smiled nervously as he waited for a sign of approval from Jared. “I know that it’s only been a few months, but we’re crazy about each other and love each other dearly.  I want to spend the rest of my life with her.  Her father has given his approval…..but I’d really like yours too Jay”.

“Of course.  I’m so happy for the two of you.  Seriously, congratulations” Jared said as he hugged Chloe and then shook Jimmy’s hand. “Have you thought about a date yet?”

“Well….I’d like to get married in 6 months time.  I’ve always wanted a Summer Wedding, but I don‘t know if I can wait until next year.  But money is kinda tight, so we’ll just have to see how things go.  I’ve got a bit of money saved and my parents are going to help us out as are Jimmy’s….so fingers crossed” Chloe said happily as she kissed her new fiance on the lips.

Jared studied the ring.  It was beautiful and he couldn’t have been happier for his best friend.  He just wished that he could be happier, but things with Jensen had reached a peculiar place right now. “Did you choose the ring Jimmy? It must have cost a bit?”.

Jimmy blushed. “Yeah, I did.  Only the best for my girl though”.  He sensed Jared’s low mood and made an excuse to give the two best friend‘s some time alone. “I think we’re going to need another bottle of bubbles.  I’ll be back in a bit”.

Chloe looked at the half full bottle of champagne in confusion. “I think there’s plenty left in there, don’t you?”.  Finally getting the hint after some head tilts from her fiance, she nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and maybe some cake too?”.

When Jimmy left, Chloe wrapped her arm around Jared. “I’m sorry, we were going to wait to announce our engagement, but I was too excited.  I should have been more sensitive about your needs.  I know things are…..well….complicated between you and Jensen.  I’ve been so caught up with Jimmy these past couple of days, I never asked how you were doing? I mean, Jensen’s pregnancy?”.

Jared broke out of his reverie and felt guilty about not being happier about his best friend’s obvious elation. “Oh God, I’m so sorry Chloe.  I’m so happy for you, I really am.  Please don’t feel bad about it.  I’ve just been pre-occupied with things that’s all.  The baby’s mine Chlo”.

Chloe’s face went from elation to seriousness in two seconds flat. “Wait, are you sure? I mean, I wouldn’t put it past him to lie about it”.

“They’re mine.  He showed me the scan pictures and the dates.  I’m going to be a father.  Jensen’s pregnant with my babies Chlo” Jared said, his face turning from glum to happy.

“Are you sure? I mean….wait, did you say babies?” Chloe asked.

Jared smiled. “Twins.  He said he doesn’t expect anything from me.  But I want to be part of their lives, of his life.  I think that he’s going to let me but I don’t know.  It’s just complicated.  One side of me is telling me that I’m too young and to just walk away….but the other side of me wants this to work.  I want to bring up a family with Jensen.  I want to make it work”.

“Oh Jay. It will work.  Things always do.  Just give him some space and once you’ve got your heads around the whole thing then things will fall into place, I’m sure of it!” Chloe said confidently.  She snuggled up to her best friend. “So, I’ve got two pairs of booties to knit then? I can’t believe your all grown up and having babies”.

Jared smiled and fingered the ring on Chloe’s hand. “I can’t believe that your all grown up and getting married.  Who’d have thought it? I‘m happy for you, honestly.  Jimmy is a great guy and I couldn‘t think of anyone better for you.  He loves you so much”.

Chloe laughed. “Thank you.  I want you there by my side, at the altar.  Kind of like my chief bridesmaid”.

“What? I’m not wearing a dress!” Jared said indignantly.

“Dude, I’m not asking you to wear a dress.  I just want you by my side, okay?” Chloe stated.

Jared kissed his friend on her head. “Okay.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world…”.

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Jared entered his boss’ office cautiously as he heard commotion from the other side.  Jensen was ferociously rummaging around in his drawers and under the piles of paper on his desk. “Hey…what’s up?”.

Jensen exhaled slowly and rubbed his hand across his face. “My filofax.  Have you seen it? It’s got all of my appointments in it.  It was here earlier and now I can’t find it!”.  He knelt down on the floor and started to move some of the heavy boxes around.

“Wait…. No! Don’t even think about moving those….” Jared shouted. “Not in your condition” he added quietly. “Come and sit down and I’ll find it, okay? You need to stay calm and not stress out…”.

“Okay”. Nearly stumbling as he got to his feet, Jensen accepted his assistant’s hand and went to sit in his chair. His hand flew over his mouth as his stomach gurgled.

“Still feeling sick?” the younger man asked the obvious question.

Jensen nodded his head slowly and sipped at the bottle of water on his desk. “Yeah.  The term morning sickness is an understatement.  It’s been well over a week since I’ve been on those anti emetics and I don’t feel any better” he admitted. “I’m barely keeping down the toast I had this morning….”.

Jared smiled sympathetically.  In the corner of his eye, he could see the filofax sticking out under a pile of papers by the phone. Retrieving it, he placed it down in front of his boss. “It was by the phone…”.

“I knew it was there somewhere!” the executive said. “Thank you….”.

“I brought you a few things for you to try.  You seemed to enjoy the fruit salad yesterday so I’ve got you the same today” Jared said thoughtfully.

Jensen winced. “I did….but it gave me killer heartburn afterwards”.

“No worries, we’ll give that one a miss.  Cheese sandwich?” the younger man offered as he held it out.

“Yum” Jensen said as he took the sandwich and tore open the packaging, taking a bite instantly and moaning delightfully at the taste.

“I’m sorry, I’m crowding you too much, aren’t I?” Jared said.

Jensen shook his head. “No, it’s okay.  I know that you mean well. Besides bringing me sandwiches that taste as good as this.  I guess the babies like cheese?” he giggled and then put his hand over his stomach as it gurgled.

Jared took the sandwich from his hand. “Just go easy on it, okay?”.

The phone on the desk started to ring and Jensen looked at the caller display and ignored it in favour of another bite of his sandwich, careful not to provoke his stomach.  It carried on ringing.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Jared asked as his hand went out to pick up the receiver.

Jensen’s face changed to thunder. “NO! Just leave it, please” he said.

“Okay..” Jared said as he withdrew his hand and took a step away from the desk.

The phone stopped ringing and the answer machine picked up.  Jensen’s mother’s voice boomed through the speaker. “Jensen? I know you’re there.  Please stop ignoring my phonecalls and pick up the phone.  There’s a few things that we need to discuss….if you don’t pick up the phone right now then I’m just going to keep ringing and ringing you until you do….”.

The executive’s eyes started to prickle with tears.  He looked at the phone and then to his assistant. “Please.  It’s my mom…I don’t want to speak to her….” he said sadly. “I can’t cope with her right now….”.

Jared smiled sympathetically and cleared his throat before picking up the receiver. “Good morning, Ackles Advertising, Mr Ackles’ office, how may I help you?” he said, speaking in a tone so calm and professionally that Jensen almost felt envious. “No, he’s not here right now.  He’s out of town on business.  Yes ma’am, I’ll be sure to pass on the message and get him to return your call as soon as he’s back. I’m his assistant. Good day to you…”.  As he put the phone back on the receiver Jensen’s hand reached out to his.

“Thank you…” the executive said as he got up and started to pace around his office, sniffing and dabbing at the corners of his eyes. “Damn hormones I guess.  I never cry.  I was never allowed, my parents couldn’t stand the sound…”.

“What’s the deal with your parents then? Sorry….you don’t have to tell me that if you don’t want to.  I don’t want to pry…..forget I asked…” Jared said.  It was hard to imagine that anyone didn’t get on with their parents as his parents and his childhood were so great and was filled with so many happy memories.

Jensen shook his head. “It’s okay.  I’ve just never really spoken about them to anyone before.  I mean, where do I start, seriously? My parents never wanted me, I mean they never wanted kids in the first place.  I think because of their business, they just needed a son and heir to take it over so they could retire early and reap the benefits.  I was shipped off to boarding school as soon as I was out of diapers.  And then the summer holidays were spent with my grandparents on the ranch in Texas.  The only time my parents get in touch is when they want money”.

Jared felt a pang of sadness for his boss. “Won’t they want to know about being grandparents?”.

“Are you kidding? They don’t even know that I’m gay. If they found out that I’m pregnant too….well they’d disown me altogether and cut all of their ties from me.  I’d bring shame onto them.  They’d take the company away from me and that’s years of hard work down the drain then”. Jensen put a hand over his stomach which had started to cramp up.

“I thought the company was yours?” Jared asked, shocked at these new revelations.

“It is.  In theory, as long as I keep bringing in the profits.  But on paper, they still own a small percentage of it.  And if I give them any excuse, then they’ll fight long and hard to regain control back and sell it on to another buyer.  It’s a family business and they can’t do that.  But they will, they’ll take it through the entire legal system if they have to.  So…that’s mommy and daddy dearest!” Jensen laughed.  He moaned quietly as his stomach cramped up again.

Jared’s ears pricked up at the sound. “Are you okay? Indigestion from eating too fast?”.

Jensen nodded his head, but wasn’t entirely convinced. “Yeah, I guess…”.

The door knocked and Jared opened it.

Mike was standing on the other side, looking none too pleased. “Sir? They won’t budge on 250”.

“What? Why don’t I just damn well give it to them for free? Keep trying!” Jensen said.

“They’re really not budging on that.  They want it for 150” Mike said cringing at the end, knowing that his boss wasn’t going to take that too well.    

Jensen almost turned a shade of puce. “The thieving bastards.  I’ve already lowered it from 350.  They either want our help or not.  Tell them 230, last offer or they need to go elsewhere! They are robbing me blind as it is!”.

Mike nodded his head sternly and gave a quick friendly smile to Jared and then a look of sympathy towards him for putting up with their boss’ foul temperament before he left them to it.

Clasping his hand over his stomach, Jensen moaned again and hunched over his desk.

Jared was quickly right next to him, all concerned. “What’s wrong?”.

“I’m okay, I’ll be back, just give me 2 minutes…..alone please” the executive added when his assistant made a move to follow him.

“Okay” Jared said as he busied himself with pouring hot water into a mug and added the ginger tea bag.  A few minutes went by and his concern grew when his boss had yet to make an appearance.  Just when he’d given up hope and was about to go and look for him, Jensen appeared in the doorway, an arm draped loosely around his stomach looking pale and distressed.

“I’m bleeding….” Jensen announced quietly, his face pain stricken.

Jared’s face went equally pale. “What do you mean bleeding?”.

“Bleeding” the older man clarified. “I think there’s something wrong and that I’m losing the babies”.

“Oh God, just….try and stay calm okay? I’m sure everything is fine…I’ll call 911 right now” Jared said as he reached for his cell phone.

Jensen pointed to his coat which was hanging up on the stand in the corner of his office. “No time, my keys, the porsche, you’ll have to drive me there, it’ll be quicker.  I’ve only just got them, I can’t lose them so soon….”.

Jared ran around the room and located the keys.  He went to support his boss under his arms and helped him walk to the elevator.  It was break time so everyone, luckily was in the coffee room and they were able to get down to the parking lot without bumping into anyone.  That would have been awkward and would have raised a lot of questions and they didn’t have time for that.

Once Jensen was safely in the passenger seat, Jared ran over to the driver’s side and started up the ignition and backed out of the parking lot and accelerated up the ramp and onto the road. It had been a while since he’d driven but he hadn’t forgotten.  In fact his mind was so focused on getting to the nearest hospital he hadn’t given too much of a thought to it. “So this is what it’s like driving a Porshe then” he giggled nervously.

Jensen’s voice was strained but he managed a bleak smile. “Yeah, she gets me from A to B.  That’s all that matters”.

Jared relaxed when he saw the sign for San Francisco General Hospital. “I’ve been reading the books you know.  And it says that bleeding in early pregnancy is fairly common.  I’m sure that everything is going to be fine..”.

“Really? Are you a doctor now then? You’re not making me feel any better here, please just drive faster and get me to the hospital” the older man said as he shuffled in the seat uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry…” Jared argued. “It’s just that you have been working quite hard recently and the stress probably hasn’t helped matters”.

“Just shut it…” Jensen snapped back. “Don’t say another word….”.

The rest of the journey was made in silence until they reached the entrance of the hospital.  Jensen shuffled out of the car and Jared ran for a wheelchair and summoned a nurse.

“I can take it from here” Jensen said breathlessly as he was wheeled away.

Jared shook his head. “I’m not leaving you, I’m coming with you! We’re in this together Jensen”.

Jensen summoned for the nurse to stop for a second. “Please, just go and park up the car…leave me alone….”.

“Please don’t do this to me, don’t push me away again” the younger man begged as he watched Jensen enter the elevator with the nurse. “Dammit” he said as he punched the pillar.  After he parked the car, he ran up to maternity to look for his boss.

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Jensen was sat in a private room, wearing one of those crappy hospital gowns, awaiting for his Doctor to arrive.  He was all alone with his thoughts.  One hand was placed tentatively over his stomach. “Please hold on babies….please….”.  He wasn’t even sure why he had pushed his assistant away.  It was just instinct, every time he had a crisis or something was going wrong in his life he was always left to face it by himself because he had no-one else to turn to.  Tears were forming in his eyes when he realised how scared he was.  It seemed like an eternity but the Doctor finally entered the room, dragging in a portable ultrasound machine with her.

“Okay, can you tell me how blood you’ve lost?” the Doctor asked, in a kindly and reassuring voice.

“Uh, I don’t know exactly.  Quite a bit I guess.  I’m sorry, I really don’t know” Jensen said as he started to work himself up.

“It’s okay Jensen, just calm yourself down.  It doesn’t matter too much.  We’ll do a scan now to see.  So we’re at….just under 8 weeks right?” the physician calculated from her chart.

Jensen just nodded solemnly.

“Is there anyone you’d like me to call for you for moral support? The other father perhaps?”.

“No, I’m okay.  I’m not even sure where he is.  I mean, he’s here somewhere.  I told him that I didn’t want him here” the executive said quietly. “Please just check up on my babies”.

The physician nodded and squirted out a generous amount of gel onto her patient’s stomach.  

As soon as the transducer touched his stomach, Jensen flinched and shook his head in protest. “Wait.  I can’t do this alone.  I’m sorry, I can’t.  I need Jared, please find him, go and get him”.  He started to shake and all of his pent up emotions came out in a rush.

“Okay, just stay calm” the doctor said as she summoned a nurse and tried to calm her distressed patient.

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Despite trying to get in to see Jensen, he was unsurprisingly denied access but he decided to stay in the waiting room regardless.  The coffee was dreadful and he’d thrown it away after just one sip.  Pacing the room, he tried to stay calm.

“Jared?”.

Jared turned around to see a blonde nurse standing by the entrance to the room. “That’s me…”.

“Mr Ackles is asking for you…” she said.

“Really?” Jared clarified before his face fell. “Wait, is everything okay?”.

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and beckoned him to follow her. “He won’t let them do the scan until you’re with him”.

The young assistant followed down the corridor until they reached a side room.  He walked in and saw Jensen on the bed, his knees hugged into his chest, trying not to sob. “Jensen?”.

Jensen looked up. “I thought I told you to leave…”.

“Yeah, well I’m stubborn.  It’s just as well I didn’t listen to you” Jared said as he stood on the spot, not daring to move any closer.

Holding out his hand, Jensen un-crumpled himself. “I can’t do this alone”.

Taking his boss’ hand, Jared inched closer to the bed and put an arm around his distraught boss. “I’m here.  Whatever happens, I’ll still be here…”.

The doctor reached for the transducer again and pressed on. “Jensen? Would you like me to continue?”.

Jensen sniffed and pulled his assistant closer to him. “I’m sorry that I shouted at you…”.

Jared laughed nervously. “It’s what I signed up for remember? I knew that about you the day I took the job.  You lash out when you get scared, I understand that”.

The executive relaxed somewhat and clutched onto the younger man’s hand. “Let’s do this….” he said looking at the physician who was poised ready.

“Okay, let’s take a look.  It might take me a minute or so to find them on the screen so just bear with me” the doctor said. “O-ka…y….here’s one of them…”.

“Does it look alright?” Jensen asked, as his eyes focused onto the screen.

“Alive and kicking.  Can you see that little dot pulsating? That’s the heartbeat.  It’s too small to hear right now but you can see it.  Baby A is doing just fine” the doctor reassured.

Jared smiled and squeezed his boss’ hand hard. “I told you…”.

“Thank God” the pregnant executive said as he laid back down on the bed and controlled his breathing. “Wait, what about the other one?”.

“Just give me a second to find the second one…” the physician said as she frantically moved the transducer around on her patient’s stomach.

Jensen’s despair was back . “I’ve lost one of them…I’ve lost one of our babies.  I’m so sorry…”.

“It’s okay, don’t blame yourself Jensen.  We’ve still got one” the younger assistant said as he tried to placate the other man as best as he could.

The physician smiled and shook her head. “There’s Baby B, also alive and well.  There’s the heartbeat right there.  If I zoom out a tad you can see them both..” she said doing just that.

Jared exhaled slowly and kissed his boss on the mouth before he knew what he was doing. “I’m sorry…” he apologised as he pulled away.

Jensen kissed him back and smiled, running a finger over the other man’s cheek. “I’m not…our babies are okay”.  He then turned his attention to the doctor. “Are you sure? I mean the cramps and the blood…”.

“…..could just been down to stress or something.  It’s quite common in early pregnancy and especially in twin pregnancies.  You just need to take things easier from now on.  Minimise stress in your life.  I’d like to keep you in overnight and keep an eye on your vitals” the doctor suggested.

“I can’t….I’ve got work to do…” the executive argued, as he eyed up in IV drip in his arm.

The doctor‘s expression turned stern, “Mr Ackles, I highly suggest that you follow my advice or risk miscarriage.  You’ll need to stay off work for a few more days to recover.  This was a warning for you to slow down”.

Jared tried to reason with his stubborn boss. “Jensen.  Please listen to medical advice. I saw how scared you were earlier when you thought that you’d lost one or both of the babies. A few days rest, that’s all.  You know that I’ll take care of everything for you”.

The executive knew that he was defeated on this one. “Okay, fine.  I’m going to need some overnight things from my apartment.  Spare clothes, toiletries.  Can I leave that to you?”.

“Sure.  Write me a list and I’ll get that sorted” Jared said as he pulled out a pen and a piece of paper.

“Well, I see that you’re going to be well looked after so I’ll get my colleagues to check up on you later on.” the doctor said as she left the room, but not before putting two print outs of the scan onto the bedside table.

Jensen started scribbling some things down onto a piece of paper, one hand subconsciously on his stomach.  He stopped and looked up when he realised that he was being watched.

Jared was looking at his boss, searching out the small curve in his stomach under the thin hospital gown.

“What?” the older man asked as he quickly pulled up the sheets and blankets over him to cover up his modesty.

“Nothing. I can’t believe that there are two babies in there that’s all” the young assistant marvelled as he looked from the scan photos to his boss.

The pregnant executive looked down at himself and frowned. “I know.  I’m just going to get bigger and bigger”.

“You look great” Jared said sincerely. “You’ve got this real glow about you recently”.

Jensen blushed.  He wasn’t used to compliments, much less from people other than prospective clients just trying to sweeten him up for something. “I think that’s from the constant throwing up….”.

“No, I’m serious” Jared pursued.

Clearing his throat, the older man handed over the piece of paper, grazing the other man’s hand as he went, and smiling shyly. “Anyway, the keys are in my jacket which is hanging up in the wardrobe…..it’s the big brass one, and, well, you’ve got the keys to the car so….”.

Jared nodded his head in understanding. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.  Lunchtime traffic is going to slow things down a bit…”.

Jensen rolled his eyes. “That’s okay, I’m not going anywhere for a while.  I’m all hooked up to these machines” he indicated, holding up his arms to demonstrate the lines and wires coming from him.

“Is there anything you need before I go?” Jared asked.

“My palm laptop and Blackberry? Just need to make some phone-calls” the executive asked as he sat himself up in bed.  If he wasn’t going anywhere for a while then he could at least make himself useful.  He had a business to run.

“Nope….” the assistant said as he grabbed them and stashed them into his own pockets in his jacket. “Rest.  Please, at least until I get back then you can let me know what needs to be sorted out.  I’ll pop into the office on my way to let them know that you’ve had to go on an emergency conference and will be out of office until next week”.

“But I need to…” Jensen started before he was silenced by a hand over his mouth.

“…..nope you don’t.  If you lie there and do as you’re told I’ll bring you back something oozing with cheese” Jared promised.

Jensen sighed and brought the back of the bed back down.  He hated to admit it and give in but he was exhausted and could use the sleep. “Fine, you’ve sold me on that.  I’ll see you later.  Jared?”. Jared stopped and looked back at the other man. “Thank you for sticking by me and being here….”.

“That’s okay, I told you, I’m not going anywhere” the younger man promised.

“Good….”.

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Jared had followed Jensen’s instructions explicitly and was glad that there was underground parking and an allocated space to park in because his road-side parking wasn’t really up to scratch.  After finding the apartment, he let himself in and scanned the list in front of him.  On the top of it was to feed the cat and make sure she had enough clean water.

Sure enough, the tabby cat greeted him, and after pouting for a moment when she realised that he wasn’t Jensen, she decided that he was good enough and rubbed up against his leg, purring loudly as he re-filled her bowls and scratched her behind her ears.

It shocked him again at how corporate his apartment looked, no personal touches or anything.  It was still as it was when he’d moved in he supposed as the paint work was all a uniform magnolia and white colour.  The kitchen didn’t look as it was used very often and his fridge was nearly empty save for a bottle of milk and some other necessities.

Deciding that he was prying too much by looking around, he carried on with the task at hand and walked into the bedroom where the bed was neatly made.  Some flashbacks entered his mind whilst looking at the bed, remembering frolicking around in it with his boss.  If he thought he was prying before, then looking through the wardrobe was definitely bordering on an invasion of privacy.  The wardrobe itself spanned across the length of the room and was bigger than his entire bedroom.  How many suits did one man need?  

He chose some casual looking sweaters and pants and a black pair of loafers.  Next was the embarrassing task of looking through the drawer of underwear. Was Mr Ackles a boxers or a briefs kind of man? He smiled when he pulled out a pair of tight fitting boxers and stuffed them in a small carry suitcase that he located on one of the shelves.

After rummaging around in the bathroom cabinets he located a toothbrush and some paste and grabbed a bottle of aftershave and some shaving things.

Looking down at the list there was just one last thing to find; his organiser which according to the instructions were in the desk drawer on the left.  Was that the left hand side as you looked at it, or as you stood along side it? He opened the first one and started to rifle through it to find the leather bound file.  Clumsily, he dropped some of the contents on the floor so he bent down to pick it up.  There were some Christmas cards, one which he recognised from himself and the other, when he opened it up, was from his parents.  He noticed the lack of personal touch and warmth in it, unlike the one that his own parents had sent him.  Amongst the cards were a small handful of photographs.

One of the photographs was of a young boy, wearing a cowboy hat, sitting on a fence supported by two older looking people, one man and one woman.  From what he knew about Jensen, it looked like his grandparents because it looked like the background was a ranch.  He looked happy.  There were another couple of photographs of a similar nature.  Putting them all back hastily, he noticed another photograph on the top- a more recent one.  It was dated only a few years ago in fact. Jensen had his arms around a dark scruffy handsome looking man and they were both smiling.  On the back was written; ‘Me and Jeff, San Diego’.  After he put the rest of the things back in the drawer he decided that it was the wrong one and when he opened the one next to it he found the organiser sitting on the top just as his boss said that it would be.

As he zipped up the travel case, he heard a key in the lock and a middle aged woman letting herself in.  She was too busy singing to herself to notice him at first.

“Meu Deus!” Loretta screamed in Portugese. “Intruder, intruder! Policia!” she continued yelling.

Jared was scared out of his wits and threw his hands up in surrender. “No, I’m not.  No Police.  I’m Jared, Jensen’s assistant.  I’m guessing that you’re Loretta, right? His housekeeper?” he said panicking.

The Portugese woman stared at the intruder carefully and narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve got his keys, see? He gave them to me.  And here’s the list that he wrote me.  I’m getting some things for him.  He’s in hospital and needs to stay overnight. Ring him if you don’t believe me…” Jared said desperately as he waved everything up in the air in a frantic bid to get the woman to believe his story.

Loretta smiled. “Jared.  I know about you.  Meester Ackles tells me stories about you.  Oh you make him so happy…” she sang.

Jared looked confused. “Really?”.

“Yes” she said before her face fell as she registered the information. “Wait, Master Ackles is sick?  I thought he was looking not so good the past few times I seen him…I knew he should see Doctor”.  She then proceeded to speak Portugese to herself.

“He’s okay, really.  He’ll be home tomorrow.  Nothing to worry about, honestly” Jared said. “I should really get back to the hospital”.

“Have you got his flannel towels? I’ve washed them fresh for him, he won’t be happy with nasty itchy hospital ones” Loretta said as she unloaded the bag of laundry and handed them over.

“Thank you, I’m sure he’ll appreciate them” Jared said. “I’ll leave you to it”.

Loretta smiled again and opened the door for the young man. “So handsome…..just right for Meester Ackles….so kind looking after him like this….”.

Jared looked embarrassed and blushed as he left the apartment and made his way back down to the car.  He reflected on the words of his boss’ housekeeper.  Did that mean that he spoke to her about him? What was it that he said? Given the reception he received from her it had to be good.  He couldn’t help a little smile.

 

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Jensen had listened to advice and was discharged the next morning with a full bill of health provided that he stayed off for the rest of the week.  Jared was coming to pick him up any time now.  He’d showered and shaved and was trying to make himself as presentable as possible.

“Do you own anything that’s not Armani or Dolce and Gabbana?” Jared joked as he strolled into the room with the morning business paper and a cup of ginger tea for his boss.

“Yes…uh…Ben Sherman, Burberry?” Jensen said amusedly as he finished packing his bag. He nodded his thanks as he took a sip from the plastic cup.

“Are you all ready to go?” Jared asked.

“What have you told everyone in the office?” Jensen enquired as he gathered the rest of his things together.

Jared tucked his hair behind his ears and finished off the rest of his protein bar. “I told you, emergency meeting.  They couldn’t argue with that.  I told you that you’re only to be contacted in a dire emergency via emails only and anything else is to be directed to me”.

“Fine.  I need to be kept informed about everything though” the executive said sternly. “Do you promise?”.

“Of course. Are you ready?” Jared asked. Jensen nodded his head enthusiastically and went to grab his bag when Jared intercepted. “Don’t even think about carrying that….”.

Jensen sighed but was too tired to protest so he grabbed his tea and the paper and followed his assistant out the door.

Jared got them back to the apartment in a good time, using his knowledge of the city to take the short cuts via the back roads and side streets.  As soon as he let them in through the door, Jensen made a run for the bathroom and threw last night’s hospital food up.

The young assistant moved discreetly into the bathroom and put a damp dish cloth over his sick boss’ neck. “Better?”.

Jensen spluttered one more time and put the lid of the toilet back down and nodded his head. “Yeah.  Guess I got car sick”.

Cringing, Jared filled up a glass with water from the tap. “My driving hey? It’s a Porshe right, you’re meant to make the most of the horsepower right?”.

“Your driving was fine.  It’s the same routine every morning.  The good news is that I should stop throwing up in a few weeks time.  Or I could be even luckier and have it last for the duration….” Jensen said sarcastically. “Great, you’ve just seen me throw up…”.

Jared laughed. “Not quite, so that doesn’t really count”.

They were both alert when the front door opened and someone shouted ‘Hello’.

“It’s Loretta….” Jensen said as he got to his feet, wobbling as he went.

“It’s okay, I’ll go see her.  Hopefully she won’t nearly bust my ass this time” the taller man said as he left Jensen to sort himself out.

Loretta smiled. “Jay-red! I’ll be gone in a minute. Just bringing food over for Mister Ackles.  Some Chicken and Noodle soup and a lasagne, his favourite.  Good for making him better”.

Jared indicated to the bathroom. “He’s okay, he’s home.  It’s all good in the hood..” he joked.

“Good….hood?” the Portugese woman said as she wrinkled her nose up. “I no understand….”.

“It’s just a saying…..never mind” Jared said deflatedly. “Here he is…”.

Jensen wandered out of the bathroom sipping slowly on his glass of water. “Hi Loretta”.

“Sorry, I’ll be out of your way now….just bringing you soup…Jay-red say you sick…” Loretta said happily as she uncovered the bowl.

“Thank you” Jensen said, smiling as best as he could. “Could you put it in the fridge for me please?” he asked as he clasped his hand over his mouth.  He’d be wolfing it down later for sure, but right now the smell was far from pleasing and threatening to send him to the bathroom again.

Loretta nodded her head and wrapped the soup back up and put it in the fridge with the lasagne. “Easy on the tummy….you want some now?”.

Jensen shook his head and kept his hand firmly in place over his mouth.  He looked to Jared before turning back to his housekeeper. “Okay, you might as well know the truth, but it’s a secret.  Only we know..”.

“Secret…” Loretta said as she nodded that she understood.

“I’m not sick exactly….I’m pregnant” Jensen announced. “But you can’t tell anyone about it, please, not yet”.

Loretta shrieked with excitement and jumped up and down. “Meester Ackles is going to have baby! How you say, Momma is the word, right?” she said as she patted her nose with her index finger.

“Exactly” Jensen said.

“I bring you books and make you booties.  So happy!” Loretta said happily as her mind started to work overtime.

“There’s no need, honestly, you do more than enough for me” the executive said. “I’ll be sure to enjoy my food later on once the sickness has gone for the day”.

Loretta went in the fridge and pulled out a stray lemon. “Put this in water with ginger and you get better…worked for me.  I’ll leave you to it.  I can clean on Monday for you?”.

Jensen bobbed his head a couple of times. “Yes please, thank you”.

“No problems…” the Portugese said. “You’ll need bigger place to clean soon. Never thought you were, how you say, family man…”

“No….neither did I to be honest….” Jensen said as he picked up the lemon and sniffed at it, with a less than pleased expression on his face.

 “Well, I leave you to it” Loretta said as she left.

Jared scratched his chin. “She’s right you know.  You’re going to need a bigger place.  Especially with two babies.  You didn’t tell her that bit though…”.

“No, I don’t think she could handle that much excitement in one day.  I guess she’s right about that.  I never thought about needing to move.  It still hasn’t quite sunk in yet” Jensen said as he reflected on things. “I can’t stare at these four walls all day.  Let’s go out for food or something, late breakfast”.

“Do you feel up to it? Don’t want you throwing up any more today un-necessarily” the younger man pointed out.

“I’m good, all done. Hungry now, where do you suggest we go?” Jensen asked.

Jared scoffed. “Why are you asking me? I don’t know anywhere nice to eat.  All the places that I know you can get food for under 8 dollars.  And that includes a beverage.  Why don’t you suggest someplace?”.

Jensen sighed. “Because….because I want to go where you usually go.  I’m sick of my usual places.  I want a change”.

“What, diners?“ Jared asked exasperatedly with a bemused expression on his face.

The executive just shrugged his shoulders. “Enlighten me…”.

“Okay.  There’s this little place on the high street that does the best pancakes and grilled cheese that I know of” Jared suggested.

“Really? I’m game if you are?” Jensen said amusedly.

Jared scoffed. “You really wanna go to a greasy diner? With the commoners” he whispered at the end.

“I really want to go a diner with you and eat grilled cheese.  Very much so…” the older man replied as he persevered with the lemon and squirted some in his glass of water and added some ginger to it and sniffed it.

“Okay, fine. Just do me a favour and lose the Armani tank top….too much.  Do you own sweatpants and a hoodie by any chance? We’re going casual…” the young assistant stated as he looked down at his own attire.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders, he couldn’t see anything wrong with what he was wearing. “This is casual” he commented.

“That top alone costs more than my monthly salary you know?” Jared quipped.

The executive examined the item in question. “This? It’s practically ancient.  It was last season’s.  I’ve been meaning to pass it onto the Homeless shelter”.

“Last season?” Jared mocked. “This shirt is years old….I think I had it before I went to college. Anyway, you sure you feel up to this?”.

Jensen raised the glass in front of him and downed it in one, pulling a face and spluttering at the end. “Well that was far from pleasant! Let me brush my teeth then I‘m ready”

Jared smiled in amusement and studied his shirt and pants and tried to figure out exactly when he’d bought then.  His boss had said that he liked him for who he was anyway and he felt no obligation to change.

“I need to now change the brand of my toothpaste too.  Apparently minty fresh makes me nauseous aswell.  Excellent…” the pregnant executive said as he emerged from the bathroom with his toothbrush and toothpaste and discarded them in the trash under the kitchen sink. “That grilled cheese is sounding so amazing right now”.

“Let’s go then….” Jared said as he grabbed his coat and slung it over his shoulders.

“Lead the way” Jensen said.

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	14. Chapter 14

The unlikely couple were sat in the diner and Jensen was tucking into his grilled cheese. “Mmm, this is pretty good, if not better than the ones that I’ve paid $50 for before?”.

Jared nearly choked on his soda. “What? $50 for grilled cheese?”.

Jensen wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled. “Well, it was a bit more elaborate than just grilled cheese, but that’s what it was effectively.  This is the first thing that’s actually tasted really good to me for a long while…”.

“I’m sure they’ll deliver to the office for you everyday” Jared joked.

“Really?” the executive said as his eyes lit up.

Jared snorted rather indignantly. “I’m joking”.

“Oh….I’m not” Jensen said as he started to tuck in again.

The young assistant’s attention was drawn to a customer that had just walked in through the door. His hair was shorter and styled more neatly, but there was no doubt about it that it was Patrick. “Shit…”.

“Problem?” Jensen asked as he looked around the diner and then to his assistant who seemed to have ducked his head down.

“Just someone that I really, really don’t want to see that’s all” the younger man admitted, keeping his voice low and cringing.

Jensen looked up again and his attention was turned to the man who stood at the counter ordering a takeaway coffee.  He was attractive for sure, not his type, but had that rugged edge that he’d fallen for in the past with Jeffrey Morgan.  It was hard to picture him with his assistant. “I didn’t think that you would have skeletons in your closet….”.

“Yeah….I thought that he’d left town..” Jared said as he lifted his head up and took a peek around to see if he was still there.

Patrick had ordered his take-away coffee and started to walk towards the door when he caught a glimpse of his recent ex-boyfriend. “Jay-bear?” he asked as he made a beeline towards where he was sitting.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jared asked bitterly.  He felt nothing for the man who had broken his heart.

“Don’t be like that.  It’s a free country, I’m just getting coffee.  You look really good, as usual…” the biker said casually as he pulled up another chair and sat at the table, in between Jensen and Jared, getting as close as he could to the younger man.  His hand reached out and touched his.

Jared flinched and withdrew his hand back. “Don’t touch me….”.

Jensen cleared his throat to signal his presence.

Patrick turned to look at the other man, wrinkling up his nose and showing his displeasure. “I’m sorry, and you are?”.

The executive smiled sarcastically. “Jensen….”.

“That’s Mr Ackles to you though” Jared said.

“Mr Ackles? What, is he like your boss or something?” Patrick scoffed and laughed as he took a sip from his polystyrene cup.

“Actually, we’re dating and you’re interrupting our meal so can you please leave… “ Jensen replied as he wiped his hands on his napkin as elegantly as he could.

Patrick sneered at the older man. “I think that’s up to Jay-Bear whether he wants me to leave”.

Jensen sat back in his chair and made himself look taller. “I think he’s made himself quite clear that he wants you to leave…”.

Jared put his hand out to Jensen. “It’s okay, I’ll handle it, don’t get yourself all worked up, it’s not good for you or the babies…”.

“Babies?” the biker asked. “He’s your baby daddy? Wow, you didn’t waste time.  If you wanted babies Jay, that’s all you needed to do was ask, I could have given you that”.

“Just leave please” Jared begged.

Patrick put his feet up on the table and slurped from his cup of coffee. “I’m quite comfortable here, I’m not going anywhere baby…”.

“Seriously? Just grow up will you” Jared shouted.  When the other man made no reaction, he got to his feet.  Let’s go Jensen, I forgot how much of a dump this place was”.

Jensen followed, getting to his feet.

The biker just laughed. “If you get bored of playing daddies Jay, and want some fun, you know where I am.  Remember this time last year? Valentine‘s Day? I took us to that Hotel.  Best weekend of sex ever..”.

Jared looked around for something to throw at him without causing too much commotion but then relented.

“Aw, you’ve not got your girlfriend here with you today to protect you?” Patrick said as he started to pick at the half eaten food on the plates in front of him.

The young assistant was half way through the door when he doubled back and grabbed the leftover salad and salad dressing and threw it over his ex-boyfriend’s hair. “Now you’re even more of a slimy douche bag waste of space.  Reaching into his pockets he grabbed a few dollar bills and threw them down onto the table.  “For the shampoo to wash your hair with..”.

Patrick was too mortified to even answer let alone follow when Jared left through the door.

Once outside, Jared was shaking and then blushed openly when he realised that his boss was just staring at him. “I’m so sorry” he cringed. “I’ve not done anything like that before.  Wow, that felt good though”.  To his shock, Jensen laughed. “What’s so funny?”.

Jensen controlled his laughing. “That was awesome.  Remind me never to get on your bad side.  I could use you when confronting clients who don’t pay up!”.

Jared clasped his hand over his mouth, still in awe of what he’d just done. “Come on, let’s get out of here”.

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It was now late in the evening and Jensen was half asleep on the couch.  Jared had cleared away the soup that they’d both shared.

“I think that you should get to bed and I’ll head off home” Jared suggested.

Jensen stirred but opened his eyes nonetheless. “No…I don’t want to….”.

“You can’t sleep here, it can’t be very comfortable, you need to rest properly in bed” the younger man said sensibly.

“No, I don’t mean that.  I’m getting to bed now.  I mean that I don’t want to be alone tonight, please can you stay?” Jensen asked.

Jared hesitated.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, it was that he wasn’t quite prepared to be asked so soon. “Uh, sure.  The couch doesn’t look that uncomfortable.  But I don’t have a toothbrush with me or any night clothes”.

The executive got up from the couch and rubbed his eyes.  “The couch folds out into a double bed and I’m sure I’ve got t-shirt you can borrow and a spare toothbrush.  Unless…I’m sorry, I’m just being stupid.  It’s not fair to ask you to stay the night.  I mean I’ve never really had anyone to stay before…”.

“No, it’s fine.  I’ll stay the night, it’s not a problem.  You’re not going to be alone tonight, I promise I’ll be here.  At least that way I can make sure that you stay off work in the morning” Jared said.

Jensen sighed.  “Okay, deal, I can live with that.  As long as you check in at the office for me.  If I can’t be there then I need you to be my eyes and ears” he said as he tried his best to stifle a yawn.

“Yes boss, I’ll be there, now get to bed” Jared chastised.

The older man was too tired to protest as he staggered off into the bedroom after finding a t-shirt and toothbrush for his younger assistant.

Jared had pulled out the bed sofa and made up the bed and settled down switching on the television but keeping the volume low so not to disturb Jensen who clearly needed his sleep.  It felt strange being in the apartment, almost like a stranger, or an unwelcome houseguest but he guessed that this was Jensen’s way of getting close to someone.  He didn’t mind in the slightest, he was going to take it as slow as his boss wanted to.  The thought of the other man asleep in bed just through the bedroom door was driving him crazy.  So near but yet so far.  He giggled to himself when Chloe had sent him a suggestive text message.

‘I’m sleeping on the sofa, so behave’ Jared texted back.  Feeling his exhaustion take over after a stressful few days he flicked the TV and the light switch off and went to sleep.

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Jared opened his eyes slowly.  The sun hadn’t quite risen yet telling him that it was early morning.  It took him a few moments to register where he was as it didn’t quite feel like his own bed.  It registered where he was when he saw a light on in the bathroom and heard the sound of retching coming from the other side of the door.  He was in Jensen’s apartment.  Although it was hard not to, it felt like an invasion into the other man’s privacy so he wasn’t sure whether or not he should go and check in on him.

Jensen flushed the toilet after he was done dry heaving.  It was just gone 5.30am and his morning sickness was right on schedule as always.  He had almost forgotten that Jared was sleeping on the fold out bed until he staggered into the lounge and kitchen and reached for the handle on the fridge. “I’m sorry I woke you up…”.

“It’s okay” Jared said as he pulled the sheet up over his legs to cover up his boxers. “Can I get you anything?”.

“Nope, water is the only thing for me right now” the executive said as he reached for a bottle of cold mineral and started to sip from it slowly. “Did you sleep okay?”.

Jared nodded his head. “I went out like a light”.

Jensen exhaled slowly and sat down on the arm of the other chair and draped an arm around his stomach. “I’m sorry that you had to hear…..that….” he said signalling to the bathroom.

“It’s okay, there’s no shame in being sick.  Don’t be embarrassed” Jared said soothingly as he tried to make his boss feel better.

“Thank you” Jensen said as he slid down into the chair and curled his long legs up into it as he clutched onto his bottle of water protectively. “I’m just going to stay here, I’m closer to the bathroom…”.

Jared pulled the bed covers to one side and shuffled over. “Why don’t you come and lie here?  You look cold? I won’t bite”.

Jensen looked apprehensive at first but then the invitation was too good to turn down.  The thought of going back to an empty bed didn’t seem appealing to him. “I guess.  I mean we’re having babies together so…”.  He got up and fumbled his way over to lie down next to his assistant, choosing to curl up on the other side, as far away from Jared as possible.  He wasn’t used to this level of closeness, not since Jeff anyway.  His stomach ached from the retching and from being empty and he moaned a little.

“You okay?” the younger man asked worriedly as he instinctively moved closer and put his hand on Jensen’s arm.

“Yeah” Jensen replied as he flinched at first but then found that he enjoyed the touch. He wriggled a little closer. “Just…..just hold me….”.

“Okay”.  Jared moved over so that their bodies were pressed up against each other.  He draped an arm around the older man comfortingly and just held him until he felt his breathing change signalling that he was dropping off to sleep.

When Jensen woke a couple of hours later, his stomach rumbled so loudly that he sat bolt upright thinking that he needed to make a mad dash to the bathroom.  When he realised that he wasn’t nauseous, just really hungry, he smiled when he saw that he had been cuddled up to Jared.  No wonder he had slept so soundly and felt safe.  He tried to prise himself away when he heard Jared stir.

Jared opened one eye sleepily. “You okay?”.

Jensen nodded as he got to his feet slowly. “Yes.  I’m starving, I need food”.

“Let me” Jared said as he found himself suddenly wide awake.  He jumped up out of bed before he realise he was only wearing Jensen’s t-shirt and his boxers. “Oh…I’ll go put some pants on now, sorry…”.

“No, it’s okay” Jensen said as he half smirked. “That t-shirt looks great on you by the way”.

The younger man blushed.  His cheeks flushed even more when he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the mirror on seeing his bed-hair which was sticking up every which way.  He smiled in relief when he realised that Jensen’s hair was the same. “What would you like to eat? Eggs?”.

Jensen nodded his head as he moved over to the table. “Eggs are good…”.

“Eggs….” Jared re-iterated as he opened the fridge and located them. “How do you like your eggs in the morning sir?” he joked.

“Uh, scrambled with a sprinkling of pepper” Jensen said as he started to fold away the pull out bed. “I’ve got it….” he said before his assistant came over and intervened. “It’s just folding up the cushions that’s all”.

Jared turned away again and located a pan hoping that his boss didn’t see the rolling of his eyes and look of disapproval. “Coming right up…”.

“So, are you going to go into the office today?” the executive enquired as he sat down on the newly made up couch.  He folded the bed covers up and put them down next to him. “I need to sort out some things, I need a photographer for the catalogue launch for the clothing company.  All the models are ready to go so that’s pretty high on my agenda…”.

“Okay, no worries” Jared said as he starting mixing up the eggs and milk with a whisk.  A thought suddenly struck his mind. “I actually have someone in mind who I know would be interested and very reliable and hard working”.

Jensen looked on thoughtfully. “Okay, give me their number and I’ll make some enquiries and negotiate on price”.

Jared paused. “Actually, it’s Jimmy.  Chloe’s boyfriend, well fiance now…I know I’m bias because he’s going to marry my best friend, but I’ve seen some of his work and it’s very, very good indeed.  I can bring you a copy of his portfolio so you can have a look at and then base your decision on that”.

“That sounds fair, could you get it to me by the end of day?” the older man asked as he scribbled something down on a piece of paper, writing down thoughts that came to him.  He was a workaholic and always had to have something in his hands whether it be phone, laptop or pen and paper.

“Sure, I’ll give him a ring in a bit and tell him to drop into the office” the young assistant said.

“Chloe’s getting married then?” Jensen enquired. “You never told me…”.

Jared laughed. “I think you’ve had enough things to worry about recently.  Besides I thought you hated her…”.

Jensen scoffed. “I don’t hate her….she’s just…well…”

“………opinionated? Ballsy?” Jared suggested.

“Something like that, yes” Jensen said amusedly. “I’m writing a list of things that need to be sorted out.  If you hand my palm laptop back to me then I can get started on answering the backlog of e-mails that I have no doubt.  Seeing as I’m bed bound for the rest of the week I can at least do that, right?”.

“Fine, if it stops you from stressing out and coming into the office, then you can have your laptop back.  It’s in my duffel bag by the front door.  But don’t get it yet” Jared warned him as he saw his boss make to stand up. “Breakfast is nearly done and you can’t work on an empty stomach….”.

The smell of freshly cooked eggs filled the kitchen and Jensen could feel himself start to salivate, reminding him how pathetically empty his stomach was. “Smells good….”.

Jared shared the eggs out between two plates and brought them over to the table where he joined his boss. “Let’s hope they live up to your expectations, I made them like my mama does, little hint of chilli sauce in there too Texan style”.

Jensen took his first mouthful and nodded in approval. “I think that I’m a little in love with your mother between the chutney and now this…..”.

“I’ll be sure to pass on your compliments to her” Jared said.

After a few more careful mouthfuls, Jensen put his fork down and paused. “Do you miss Texas?”.

The younger man looked slightly confused, but he mulled over the question for a few moments before answering. “I guess so.  I feel guilty that my parents are getting on a bit and that they are struggling to keep the ranch going.  I feel like I should be there helping them out.  But then this is my dream, here in San Francisco, working for the best advertising company in North America”.

“You’re being biased again” Jensen stated.

“Maybe” Jared said. “But it’s true.  It’s what I’ve always wanted, what I’ve been training for, for years.  I don’t want you giving me special treatment just because….because of our situation.  I want to do it all on my own merit”.

“I thought that perhaps you knew me enough by now to know that I don’t let people off that easily.  I don’t give anyone special treatment.  Everyone has to work very hard to get where they are in my company and you’ve been no exception.  You’ve got where you are today by working hard and through your own determination and bloody mindedness.  You’ve taken initiative, risks and gambles and it’s worked and paid off.  Trust me, I’m treating you the same as my other employees.  Not my fault that you outshine them all already, even so early on in your career.  So our little ‘situation’ bears no part in it.  It’s all you Jared” Jensen said sincerely.  “In fact I’m not letting you off so easily, so haul ass and get into the office and get to work” he said with a sly smile on his face.

Jared tried to keep a straight face to play his boss’ game. “Of course Mr Ackles, I’ll just shower quickly and get changed then I’ll be off….”.

Jensen smiled as he watched his young assistant run off towards the bathroom and close the door as he carried on tucking into the rest of his delicious scrambled eggs.

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Jared was sat in Jensen’s office all day fielding phone calls and tending to enquires and writing down messages to pass onto his boss.  He could understand why Jensen got so ratty all the time, because after just a few hours his head was spinning and he was inundated.  It was no wonder his boss was always stressed out, this was hard.

The phone rang again and Jared tried to answer it just as enthusiastically as the first thirty or forty but his patience was wearing thin. “Good afternoon, Ackles Advertising, Mr Ackles’s Office”.  He was surprised at the voice on the other end of the phone. “Jensen….”.

 Jensen’s voice echoed over the other side of the phone. “How are you getting on? I’ve forwarded some e-mails to you that you need to amend and sort out for me today please?”.

Jared opened up his e-mail browser and scanned through his inbox quickly. “Yeah, I’ve received that.  I’ll just add that to the pile of other stuff that I’ve got to do”.

“If it’s too much just say and I’ll come in right away…” the executive said as he held the phone under his ear and typed on his laptop at same time.  He was sat on the couch with his feet up.

“Don’t be so silly. It’s fine.  The other guys are on it and are working really hard.  It’s all about delegation here….” the younger man said looking up as the door knocked. “I’ve got to go, I’ll catch up with you later, okay? I’ve got the portfolio for you to look at and you just need to sign and approve some contracts…”.

Before Jensen could have a chance to answer, the phone hung up on him. He sighed and put it back on the rocker.  He hated being away from the office and especially having someone else cover for him. He needed to know what was going on every step of the way and hated being out of the loop and out of control.  Even so, he had no choice, he had two other priorities in his life right now and he had to start putting them first.  Nearly losing his babies made him realise how much he wanted them.  And if he was going to leave someone in charge, he couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather have than his faithful young assistant- Jared.

“Come in!” Jared shouted after he hung up on his boss.

The door opened and Tom came in holding a folder and frowning slightly when he realised it was Jared behind the desk rather than Jensen. “Wow, promotion already?” he joked. “Is Jensen not around?”.

“He’s going to be away for a few more days yet.  He just told me to field his calls, take messages, file anything that needed to be signed, etc etc.  I’m totally swamped right now, this is crazy.  He’s got an emergency budget meeting downstate or something, just told me to ‘take care’ of things.  Pretty bum deal really….” Jared tried to laugh off whilst trying to sound sincere and genuine.

Tom nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, I think I’ll stick to what I’m doing thanks.  You’d better get a raise for sorting out his shit whilst he swans off. Can I leave these with you? Just need him to check these and sign them.  Not urgent, they can wait until the end of next week”.  When the phone started to ring again, he laughed. “I’ll leave you to it Jayman!”.

“See you bud” Jared said before he picked up the phone. “Good afternoon, Ackles Advertising, you’re through to Mr Ackles’s Office…”.

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At the end of the very long day, Jared let himself into Jensen’s apartment with the key that he’d been given, carrying an impossible amount of files and folders in his briefcase and duffel.

Jensen was still on the couch and opened his eyes.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you….” Jared said apologetically.

“I wasn’t sleeping….” the older man said unconvincingly as he rubbed his eyes. “I was just resting my eyes that‘s all…”.

“Have you eaten yet? Because I’ve brought you some chicken and pasta from the restaurant around the corner.  The portfolio and documents requiring your signature are all in here” Jared said indicating to the bags he put down in the hallway. That should tide you over to the end of the week.

“Thank you” Jensen said. “Anything else?”.

Jared shook his head. “Everything else I could take care of myself, so it’s all good.  You’ve got more than enough to be getting on with.  I’ll leave you to it….”.

Jensen felt a pang of disappointment. “Oh…..you’re going?”.

“Yeah…I thought….I think that I’ve probably intruded on your home for a little too long, you probably want some privacy…” Jared said.

“I was the one that asked you to stay.  At least stay for dinner, I mean I can’t eat all that pasta by myself, way too much for one person.  Share some with me?” Jensen asked.

Jared looked hesitant.

Jensen’s face fell.  “I’m sorry, I’m being too pushy.  If you need to head on home, then that’s fine….you‘ve probably got better things to do than hang out here with me….just because I‘m bed bound…”.

“No, I mean, I’d love to stay, thank you.  I love spending time with you.  Let me just put this in the oven to keep warm. It’s not really wise to let it go cold and then re-heat, not if you’re pregnant” the younger man stated. “Don’t want to risk salmonella.  It’s probably not safe to go home anyway. It’s Valentine’s Day so Chloe and Jimmy are probably too busy playing tonsil tennis with each other or something…”.

“Oh yeah….February 14th…so it is….I’d forgotten…” Jensen said.

“It’s okay, it’s just another day, right?  I’d rather not be reminded of it in fact…” Jared said.

Jensen nodded his head in agreement.  The last time he was with Jeff had been Valentine’s day and he didn’t really wanted to be reminded of it. “We’re just having dinner then….”.

“Just dinner” the younger man clarified.

The older man started to set the dinner table up ready, clearing away his work things for now.

“Oh yeah, there was one telephone message actually.  I’ve written the number down on a piece of paper.  He was very insistent that you get back to him personally, said you knew him well and that it was urgent you get back to him as soon as possible.  There was no message as such, said it was private.  From a Jeffrey Dean Morgan?” Jared said casually as he set the oven, unaware that he was about to set his boss off in a frenzy.

Jensen stumbled at the mention of his name and dropped some of the cutlery on the floor in a fluster.

“Problem?” Jared asked innocently.

“No, it’s okay.  I’ll deal with him when I get back next week….” the executive said as he bent down and picked up the dropped forks.

Jared looked suspiciously at the older man. “But he said that it was urgent…”.

“Just drop it please Jared.  I never want to speak to that man again, okay? You’ve got your demons, I’ve got mine” Jensen said as he started to storm off towards the bedroom.

“Okay….I’m sorry, I didn‘t mean to upset you…are you okay?” Jared asked concernedly.

“I’m getting changed, give me five minutes” Jensen snapped back as he slammed the bedroom door shut.

Suddenly the penny dropped with the young assistant at the name.  Was it a coincidence that it was the same name of the man that he’d seen on the photograph in Jensen’s drawer just the other day.  This Jeffrey guy rang saying that he was from JD Morgan Advertising. He knew that it wasn’t any of his business and he wasn’t going to pursue the issue any further, especially with his boss’s temperamental hormonal mood swings.  The last thing he wanted to do was to upset him further.

Jensen appeared back in the kitchen nearly 10 minutes later and Jared put their food on the table. “I’m sorry.  That man….he was….”.

“Look, it’s okay, it’s none of my business.  You don’t have to explain anything to me” Jared said as he sat down at the table, joining his boss.

“No, I need to.  I’ve got to tell you and get it out of my system.  You’ve probably guessed that he’s an ex.  A lying deceptive bastard” the executive said, exhaling loudly.

Jared smiled coyly.  “You mean like Patrick? My douche bag ex-boyfriend?”.

“Indeed.  The meeting in Santa Barbara.  Negotiations with a rival company.  I bought him out, bailed his ass out.  Even though he used me for my money, stole a few hundred grand and left me without so much as a goodbye.  The day after Valentine’s in fact. I loved him, the last person I loved. That’s why I went by myself, I suppose to get closure.  It was bad enough seeing him again then, I don’t want anything more to do with him, I don’t want to hear his voice, or see him ever again.  So I freaked out I guess, I’m sorry.  Did he say what he wanted?” Jensen asked as he stabbed at his food for his fork.

“No, he just said that he needed to speak with you” the younger man said. “Do you want me to…you know, deal with him for you? If it’s anything business related then I can handle it.  And if it’s about anything else then I can tell him to get stuffed?”.

Jensen laughed. “No, it’s okay, just let him stew for a while”.

Jared extended his hand out to his boss. “Thank you for telling me, for opening up.  I feel like I know you a little bit better now”.

“Well, I mean we’re going to be raising a family, so I think we need to make an effort to get to know each other better don’t you?” Jensen laughed. “I guess having dinner together on Valentine’s night is a start right?”.

“Okay then. How about favourite foods?” Jared asked as he tucked into his pasta.

Jensen finished chewing his mouthful and smiled and began to speak again. “What now, or before I got pregnant?”.

Jared laughed. “Both”…..

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	15. Chapter 15

A week later, Jensen returned to work.  There wasn’t that much of a back log of things to catch up on thanks to his faithful assistant tending to the majority.

There was a knock on his door as he was typing on his laptop. “Come in…”.

Lisa, one of the girls from the editing department came into the room, looking rather anxious and nervous.  The last time she had this conversation with her boss, he blew up in her face so it was no surprise that she was so worried about asking him again. “I need the rest of the day off….”.

Jensen’s head shot up and he looked at her suspiciously. “For what reason?”.

“Uh…I know you said that you’d have to dock my wages next time it happens, but I don’t care.  Kindergarten have rang and my daughter is sick so I need to go and pick her up and take her home”.

“Aw, how old is she?” Jensen asked as his face softened.

“She’s just turned four years old” Lisa said apprehensively.  Her boss had never enquired about her children before.

“Then go pick her up, she needs her mom, right? Take as much time off as you need, okay? I hope that she gets better soon” the executive said. “We can manage…”.

Lisa faltered at her boss’s abnormally good mood. “Uh, that’s okay, I can only afford to lose one day’s pay, I’ll get someone else to look after her tomorrow”.

“Don’t be so silly, I’m not cutting any of your pay.  You need to go and look after your sick kid. If there’s anything that I can do for you then just let me know.  In fact, take this” Jensen said as he plucked a handful of 5 dollar bills from his jacket. “Go buy her something nice to cheer her up.  What’s her name?”.

“Ava” Lisa said proudly but then frowned when she realised how strange it was that she was having this conversation with him after he was such a cold heartless person before when it came to crises with her children. “Thank you very much.”.

Jensen smiled. “That’s a beautiful name….”.

“Thank you….anyway I better get going…” Lisa said as she made an excuse to leave.

The executive surprised himself at his sudden interest he had in kids and talking about them with his employees.  He realised that his own children were already in the forefront of his mind and they weren’t even born yet.

Someone tapped on the door and again, and Jared made an appearance.

Looking up, the executive smiled at his assistant. “Ava’s a pretty name don’t think? Lisa’s daughter..”.

Jared looked a tad confused. “Yeah it is.  Are you starting to think about names then?”

Jensen put his hand over his flat stomach thoughtfully. “No….but I mean, I haven’t really thought about it until now.  Just suddenly, I’m getting these feelings that I’ve never had before, maternal instincts I guess..”.

“That’s good, right?” Jared asked.

“I just need to get a grip” Jensen said as he got to his feet and walked around his office aimlessly. “What have you got for me then?”.

“Jimmy’s here, the photographer? Did you get a chance to look through his portfolio?” the younger man asked.

“I did indeed, send him in.  I’m going to offer him the pitch” Jensen clarified.

Jared smiled happily, “That’s great, thank you so much.  He’s not going to let you down I’m sure of it”.

“I would hope not.  This modelling agency deal is a big one so we can’t screw this up in the slightest.  Its all going to come down to the photography at the end of the day” Jensen said.

The blonde photographer was waiting outside the door and he peered his head around the corner to announce his presence. “Mr Ackles? May I come in?”.

Jensen cleared his throat and turned his head towards the new arrival. “Please do…”.

Jared winked at the photographer and bumped fists with him as inconspicuously as possible. “Good luck” he whispered.

Jimmy was stood on the spot nervously. “I’m Jimmy” he said extending out a hand.  

“Nice to meet you Jimmy” Jensen said as he studied the face in front of him and shook the hand. “Have we met before?”.  There was a vague recollection of familiarity about him.

“Yes, a few years back in Los Angeles in fact.  I worked for a company back then. We didn’t get on that well if I remember correctly.  You cut all ties with us. But I’m freelancing now, doing my own thing so…”.

“Well, I’m sure we can forget the past.  I’m more interested in the present and I’ve studied your portfolio and it’s very impressive indeed.  I like your modelling photos, the way you capture the light, the mood, the atmosphere.  It’s just what I’m looking for, for my campaign, if you’re interested” the executive said.

Jimmy nodded his head and beamed back. “Of course, it would be an absolute honour to work for you, again, sir”.

Jensen nodded affirmatively. “Well I’ll set up a meeting let’s say tomorrow at around 12pm and we can go over the brief and you can meet the models and get the prep work done.  Does that sound okay to you?”.

“Yes, I won’t let you down on this.  I’m really excited about this so I’m going to work my damnedest.  I’ll get my equipment all set up and I’ll have a quick look over the brief tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow then.  Thank you very much for your time, sir” the photographer said enthusiastically.

“Wait” Jensen said before the other man disappeared out of the door. “I take it that you know about my uh……condition, right?”.

Jimmy nodded his head slowly.

“Yes, I didn’t think that your blonde fiance would be able to keep her mouth shut.  Well no-one here knows yet apart from Jared and I’d like it to stay that way until I’m ready to announce it to everyone.  Got it?” the executive said.

“Absolutely.  You have my word on that” Jimmy said.

Jensen half smirked. “Excellent.  And congratulations on the engagement”.

“Thank you sir” the blonde photographer said sincerely.

When Jimmy left, Jared appeared in the hallway and shrugged his shoulders at his boss. “So?”.

“Well, first impressions are as good as his portfolio.  But we’ll just have to see how he comes up trumps with the work tomorrow that’s all.  I told you that I have no qualms about firing anyone whether they are a friend of a friend or not” Jensen warned. “One slip up and he’s gone”.

Jared walked into the office and closed the door tightly behind him. “I know.  I’m just checking that you’re okay.  I’ve not really seen you the past few days, how are you feeling?”.

“I’m okay” Jensen said as he put his hand over his tummy again.

“You’re doing that a lot recently you know?” the younger man observed. “Putting your hand on your tummy”.

Jensen withdrew his hand quickly. “Am I? I’m not making it obvious, right? I mean, I’m still not ready for people to know yet.  It’s still to early, still too many things that can go wrong.  And once I start to show, once people know…..well that makes it all real then….”.

“Is that really a bad thing?” Jared asked.

“I…I’m still coming around to the whole thing.  I’ve never had a permanent constant in my life before, and now I’m going to have three.  It’s just a little overwhelming that’s all” the older man admitted freely.

Jared raised hand in the air sheepishly. “Same here believe it or not.  There’s no shame in freaking out here, because I sure as hell am”.

“Really? Because you seem so grounded and so grown up about all of this” Jensen said, shocked at the other man’s revelation. “Like I said before, you can walk away if you like, there’s no obligation what-so-ever…”.

Jared shook his head. “Woah, I’m not going anywhere Jensen.  I’m just letting you know that I’m kinda freaked out about this too.  We’ll take this at your pace, okay?”.

Jensen nodded and exhaled slowly, the tension in his body relaxing with it. “Thank you”.

“And stop with the ‘thank you’s’” Jared joked.

“Well, now that I’ve started saying those two little words, I’m quite fond of them.  It seems to make people smile” the executive explained. “You fell for it anyway…”.

“That, amongst other things too.  You met my ex so you know my type” the younger man said as he laughed.

The older man raised an eyebrow. “Am I really as big a jerk as that guy?”.

Jared just smiled.

“Okay, I’m trying.  Anyway I’ve got to head downtown for this meeting.  Can you keep an eye on things here for me?” Jensen asked as he located his Blackberry and scrolled through some of the messages he’d received.

The young assistant nodded his understanding. “Sure thing, I’ll catch up with you later”.

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Jimmy was in the studio for the third day in a row with the models and his camera. “Can we get some more mascara on…Jenna here.  We really want her eyes to pop.  And Carmen, I want you to really look into this camera here, really work with it, okay?  And then I want you to glance a little flirty smile at Ben over here, got it? Work the clothes, work the room, work it!” he shouted excitedly as he snapped away on his camera.

After half an hour, he got the shots that he needed. “Excellent guys, quick break, costume change and then we’ll go again”.  When he turned around, behind the glass screen was Mr Ackles himself, watching him intently.  He raised his hand to acknowledge him and went to join him.

Jensen was sat down on one of the chairs.

The blonde man tossed over a bottle of still ginger ale to the older man and then sat down on the other chair and propped his feet up on the table and flipped the ring pull on a can of Cola. “Orders from Jared that you like this”.

Taking the bottle Jensen opened it up and took a swig. “Thank you” he said as he rubbed at his nauseous stomach.  “How’s it all going?” he enquired.

The cover shoot is all done, just got a few more shots to do, then we should all be wrapped up”.

“It’s looking good, very good.  I don’t think that the photos even need that much editing, you’ve managed to capture everything that I wanted.  I’m very impressed, and as you’ve probably already realised, I’m not that easy to please”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow.  “I’ve heard.  And I worked for you before so I know.  Plus Jared has been on the phone to me for the past few days and told me exactly what you wanted for this so….”.

Jensen allowed himself to laugh. “Yeah that kid just wants to aim to please, kinda annoyingly nice, right?”.

“Yeah.  He’s great.  Just like my Chloe.  She dotes on him so much. I don’t suppose you can  recommend a bottle of wine for me? I’m cooking her dinner at mine tonight” the blonde man said with a big smile on his face. “Nothing too expensive though…we’ve got a wedding to pay for….”.

“Yeah, I’ll write down some names for you now” the executive said as he took out a pen and started to scribble things down on paper. “What are you going to be cooking?  The wine has to match the meat dish or it could ruin everything” Jensen explained.

“Well, a prawn starter, then grilled chicken breast with prosciutto ham and asparagus with a mushroom sauce and sautéed potatoes, then finished off with a chocolate cheesecake” Jimmy said happily.

“You’re cooking all of this…what, from scratch?” Jensen asked incredulously.

Jimmy nodded an smiled. “Yeah.  She’s totally worth it.  When you find true love, you‘ve got to seize the moment. You know when you‘ve found the one.  I can‘t wait to make her my wife”.

Jensen thought about that for a moment and his relationship with Jared. “So, you know how to cook then?”.

“Yeah.  I used to train as a chef before I fell in love with photography” Jimmy said.

The executive leant forwards in his chair. “How about we strike a deal.  I’ll sort you out with the best bottle of wine ever and you write me down a couple or recipes with simple instructions so I can cook for Jared”.

The photographer held out his hand and shook the older man’s hand. “You have yourself a deal.  What sort of things were you thinking?”.

“Maybe some pate to start?” Jensen suggested.

“Woah, you can’t eat that man. Not if you’re pregnant” Jimmy whispered.

Jensen wrinkled up his nose. “Really? Well that sucks….anything else?”.

“Soft cheeses.  And if you’re having steak you’ll have to make sure that it’s cooked properly too.  No medium rare for you.  I’ll tell you what, I’ll wrap up the rest of this shoot and I’ll write down a menu for you, that sound good?” the younger man said.

“Sure.  I’ll leave you to it, you’re doing a grand job so far, you don’t need me putting you off.  And thank you” Jensen said as he got up to leave.

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At the end of the day, Jensen made another appearance in the studio just as Jimmy was tidying away all of his equipment. “The Wine has been ordered and all paid for.  Just pick it up when you’re ready.  It’s one of my favourites, so I hope that you and Chloe enjoy it” Jensen said as he handed over an address on a card.

Jimmy nodded his thanks and handed over an envelope. “My side of the bargain, as promised.  There’s a few different options there with the option to mix and match.  You’ll need about 2 hours to cook it all and it’s pretty simple but really effective.  And you’ll be sure to win Jared over with the pudding because that’s his favourite according to Chloe”.

Jensen blushed. “Thank you.  And thank you so much for all of your hard work these past few days.  I’ll be sure to recommend you to anyone and everyone that I know.  I’ll be sure to use to again soon, I’ve got a few more campaigns coming up that need photo shoots”.

“I’ll be honoured to work for you again in the future sir. Thank you” Jimmy said as he bowed his head down for a brief moment.

“Call me Jensen.  What with you marrying Jared’s best friend I’m guessing that we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future, business and out of work.  Well….me and Chloe…don’t really….we’ve never seen eye to eye.  We got off on the wrong foot…” the executive said.

“Yeah….I uh….I know. She’ll come around.  She just wants the best for her closest friend, I’m sure you can understand that, right? I’ll put in a good word for you!” the photographer said humorously.

“Thank you” Jensen said.

Jared strolled into the studio and saw his boss and his new friend laughing with each other. “You all done Jimmy?”.

“Yeah.  I’m going home now to prepare dinner ready for Chloe.  I’m hoping she’ll be a little late because I haven’t even basted the chicken yet” Jimmy said nervously. “Or picked up the wine…”.

“I wouldn’t worry man.  She text me half an hour ago with her dress choices.  And she hasn’t even started on her hair or makeup yet. You’re going to be a lucky guy later on, that’s all I’m saying” Jared winked.

Jimmy licked his lips and exhaled. “Lucky me.  Anyway, I better head off.  Thanks for everything Jensen.  See you around Jayman…”.

When Jimmy had left, dragging his cases out behind him, Jared raised an eyebrow. “Jensen? So you’re on first name terms with him now then”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “He’s a good guy.  I really like him.  And he sure loves Chloe”.

“Yeah, everyone does, it’s hard not to” Jared said before he cut himself off.  He had to stop himself from wincing when he remembered that him and Chloe didn’t get along. “Sorry.  I’ve got a few more things to finish up, I’ll get everything sorted before heading home not to worry”.

“Okay” Jensen said. “What are you doing tomorrow night? Are you free for dinner?”.

Jared nodded his head. “Yeah, sure, sounds good.  Do you want me to bring anything?”.

“Nope, I’ve got it all under control” Jensen said smiling as he folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m off home, there’s something that I need to do first of all”.

“Everything okay?” the assistant asked.

Jensen smiled. “Yeah, it will be….”.

Backing out of the room, Jared looked suspiciously at the other man, but decided that he wasn’t going to get anything else out of him.

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Chloe was singing along to music in her bedroom as she put on red lipstick.  She was dressed in her bath robe and she had an assortment of dresses laid out on the back of the chairs in the lounge.  The doorbell rang and someone knocked on the door. “Jared! You’ve got a key, don’t be silly, just open the damn door!”.  When the door continued to knock, she sighed and ran up to open it, her half curled hair bouncing as she went. “Jay seriously…..” she said as she opened the door.  She was more than shocked to see none other than Mr Ackles standing on the other side. “Oh….you’re not Jared, it’s you” she glared.

“Yep” the executive said as he stood nervously in the hallway.

The petite blond folded her arms across her chest. “Jared’s on his way home, he won’t be too long.. Haven’t you just left the office?”.

Jensen nodded dumbly. “I know, it’s you that I’ve come to see”.

“Me?” the blonde asked. “I’m a little busy….”.

“Yes you.  And this won’t take long, I promise.  I think your fiance will be glad if you were a little late for your dinner date anyway because there’s some things that he wants to get right first” Jensen said.

Chloe’s face was far from welcoming. “How the hell do you know about our date?”.

“Never mind about that, can I come in or not?” the executive asked.

“O-kay” Chloe said apprehensively as she opened the door wider. “Come in and take a seat” she said summoning over to the couch.

Jensen studied the couch and tried to hide his frown at the mess and the clutter.

The blonde tutted and quickly move the clutter to one side, freeing up some space. “It’s clean!” she said irritably.

After examining the area further, Jensen wiped a few stray crumbs off the couch before sitting down.

“What can I do for you? Are you here to inspect our standard of living. Not everyone can afford a posh pad and a maid you know.  It may be a tad on the messy side but it’s clean.  It’s only small but it’s the only place we can afford rent on….”.

“I know.  I’m not here to criticise.  Look, we don’t really see eye to eye” Jensen began.

Chloe just scoffed. “That’s because you’re an ass, that could be why….”.

Jensen raised his hand. “Can we get through this without you insulting me for 2 minutes…”.

“Sorry…” the blonde apologised sheepishly.

“Jared thinks an awful lot of you” the executive continued when he figured that it was safe enough to do so. “I think an awful lot of Jared and he’s going to be playing a big part in my life in the coming months” he said as he smoothed down the wrinkles in his coat.

Chloe noticed and made a gesture towards his stomach. “Yeah I noticed you’ve already started to pile on a few pounds”.  When she received a deathly glare, she backed tracked. “I mean, you can hardly notice to be honest.  That’s if the babies are actually Jared’s” she muttered quietly.

Biting down on his tongue Jensen had to fight to hold back. “Can we please try and get along? If not for me, then for Jared?” he  asked kindly.

The blonde sighed and nodded her head. “Sorry, yeah, I’ll try, I’ll really try…”.

“Anyway, I hear that you’re getting married, I’ve been working with your fiance for the last few days.  He’s very good at what he does…” Jensen commended. “I just wanted to give you a small token gesture, to help make amends. “I hope it helps…” he said as he got to his feet and handed over an envelope which he handed to the petite blonde.

Chloe looked puzzled but took the enveloped and opened it up. She had to blink several times before she registered what was in her hands. “Twenty…..twenty grand….no way….is this for real? Is this just some cruel joke…”.

Jensen paused before he opened the front door. “Well Jared said that you had your heart set on a July Wedding, so why not make it this year?”.

“I…I don’t know what to say.  I mean this is….more than enough for what we want. I…just speechless” Chloe said.

“I believe it’s customary to say thank you if you’re lost for words” Jensen smirked.

Clasping her hand over her mouth, the blonde was nearly reduced to tears.  If she wasn’t so worried about her make-up smudging then she would have cried freely. “Thank you so much.  I don’t deserve this….not after being such a…”.

“An ass?” Jensen suggested amusedly.

“Yeah…” Chloe said exasperatedly. “You’re not so bad you know”.

“I know, just don’t tell everyone, okay?” the executive said as he smiled.  Chloe went to hug him but he pulled away. “I don’t really do hugs.  Too soon…”.

Chloe relaxed. “Got it..”.

Jared suddenly appeared, as the door opened.  He was shocked to find his boss standing in his lounge talking to his best friend, and even more shocked to see that they were both smiling. “Hey..” he said in a shocked voice. “Uh, everything okay…?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Excellent.  We’ve reached an understanding that’s all….”.

“O-kay” Jared said as he eyed them both suspiciously. “Do you want to stay, get something to eat?”.

“I should really get home, I’m exhausted and it’s been a long day.  I’ll see you tomorrow in work.  And I’m cooking you dinner tomorrow night in mine so….” the executive said.

“Wow, okay, thank you.  But I don’t mind cooking, or we can order something in” Jared started to say when his boss shook his head insistently.

“I want to do something special for you so I’m cooking, no arguments” Jensen insisted as he went to walk through the open door. “Chloe?”.

The blonde looked up at the mention of her name.  Her hands were still trembling as she held the cheque in them. “Yes?”.

Jensen pointed to one of the dresses draped over the back of the couch. “I think you should go with the red dress.  It’ll go perfect with your skin tone” he said before casually walking out of the door, cradling his coat around him as he went and closing the door on his way out.

“Thanks” Chloe said as she picked up the dress and decided that he was right.

Jared was stood on the spot, arms folded across his chest waiting for an explanation. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”.

Chloe bit her bottom lip excitedly and then exploded, proudly displaying the cheque in her hands.

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Jensen was in his kitchen and he had everything under perfect control. Or at least he thought so anyway.  He had played it safe and had gone with steak, which he was going to cook properly. The sauce had started off great, but now it seemed to be going lumpy.  Reaching for a sieve he tried to get rid of the lumps and put it back in the saucepan.

The chocolate brownie mixture had been scooped into the tins ready to put into the oven, but seemed to lack the proper texture that Jimmy stated in the recipe.  He figured that it would be okay anyway and he put it in the oven at the correct temperature.

The steaks had been seasoned and were on the grill ready to start cooking when he realised that the potatoes were boiling over and had burnt at the bottom because evidently he hadn’t put enough water in the pan to begin with.  He wasn’t doing too great with this whole cooking thing.  He had never cooked before apart from making coffee or putting some toast in the toaster or re-heating his food in the microwave.

More true in fact was that he had never had to cook in his life before, relying on maids and restaurants to cater to his needs.

The steaks started to cook under the grill, whilst he was trying to rescue the burnt starchy potatoes from the pan, when the doorbell rang. “Dammit”.  Jared was early.  Rushing over, he quickly pressed the buzzer on the intercom to open up the main door and he heard the sound of footsteps approach as he opened his front door. “Come in, take a seat, I’ve got a bit of a crisis here” he said as he went back to tending to the food.

Jared smiled as he walked over to the kitchen area.  He could see that things weren’t going that well. “Can I help you with anything?” he asked as he inspected the lumpy sauce and burnt potatoes.

“Nope, it’s all under control” Jensen said frantically as he scraped the bottom of the pan to get as much potatoes out as he could that weren’t burnt, but that didn’t amount to very much.

“Okay, but I think that you need to keep stirring that sauce because it’s just going to go lumpy” the younger man commented.

“It will be fine” Jensen said as he quickly stirred it vigorously to break up the lumps.  He figured if he added lots of butter and cheese and mashed up the potatoes he could make it into something edible but it just wasn’t turning out quite like how he was used to in the Restaurants.

Jared noticed that the table had been laid out perfectly.  Matching cutlery, plates, side plates, and candles which were lit in the middle of the runner.  It looked beautiful.  He opened the bottle of non-alcoholic wine and poured a bit into each of the glasses.

Jensen was satisfied that the steaks were cooked enough to be well done and served them on the hot plates.  He prodded at one of them with his fork, frowning when he realised that it was perhaps a tad overdone but figured that once he put the sauce on top it would soften them up somewhat.  After spooning on the lumpy burnt mashed potatoes, the lumpy sauce followed.  At least the carrots seemed to have avoided the same fate as the rest of the food. “Dinner is served….” he said ten minutes later when he carried the plates over to the table.

Jared took a seat at the table and smiled when the food was put down in front of him. “It looks, great” he said as enthusiastically as he could.

Jensen looked worriedly over at his assistant as he started to tuck in.

The younger man battled with his knife to cut through the toughness of the steak but finally managed as he scooped it into his mouth with a helping of mashed potatoes and sauce.  He chewed and chewed through the meat, until finally swallowing it down, nearly choking in the process.  After taking a large sip from his glass, he smiled. “Mmmm, this is great”.

“No it’s not….” Jensen said as he threw down his knife and fork onto his plate and sighed heavily. “Who am I kidding, this is a disaster, I can’t cook.  I’ve never done this in my life.  Please don’t eat anymore, it’s disgusting. I wouldn’t even feed this to the homeless”.

“Jensen, it’s fine, honestly.  You tried” Jared reassured as he tucked into the carrots. “Hey, these are good” he said before he started to chew them.  They were hard and severely undercooked. “Well….nearly.  We can put them back on to cook for a few minutes, no harm done…”.

“Don’t bother.  It’s ruined.  I just wanted to do something nice for you, to cook you a nice meal like proper couples do…that’s all” Jensen said as he grabbed the two plates and stomped off, throwing the whole lot into the trash can.

Jared got to his feet and followed. “Thank you, for the gesture and going to all that trouble”.

“Jimmy gave me the recipes, he said it was easy and I followed to the exact letter and I still couldn’t get it right” the older man said as he rubbed his eyes, feeling his hormones suddenly betray him.

“Listen, I’m not worried about it, so you shouldn’t be either.  Have you got any eggs?” Jared asked.

“Eggs? I’ve just ruined our evening and you want to know whether I’ve got any eggs!” Jensen said all flustered.

“I’m going to cook us up something, okay. It’s just going to be an omelette, cheese and ham, nothing fancy. That sound okay to you?” Jared asked his boss.

Jensen nodded his head and smiled. “Sounds great, I’m starving”.

“Okay” Jared said as he went to the fridge and pulled out a handful of eggs and started cracking them into a bowl as Jensen watched intently.

All of a sudden there was a smell of burning and Jensen cursed as he remembered the chocolate brownie pudding in the oven. “Oh crap, its all burnt…..I was told that this was one of your favourites and I’ve burnt that too…”.

Jared wafted the smoke from the burning tin and smiled. “Hey, it’s fine.  It’s only the top that’s burnt.  I’ll take that off, put it with some ice-cream and it’ll taste great, trust me!  Now go and sit down, put your feet up for 10 minutes”.

“But this was meant to be my treat for a change” Jensen said as he pouted.

“Just, shh and go and sit down, please?” the younger man pleaded.

The executive relented and went to sit down on the couch and sipped at his glass of non-alcoholic wine wishing that it was alcohol.  He always relied on alcohol to get him through any stressful situation and the withdrawal was killing him.

“What you did for Chloe….that was so kind and generous of you.  Thank you for doing that…” Jared said as he started to pour the omelette mixture into a pan. “It means that I’m going to have to endure hours of wedding dress shopping with her, and be her maid of honour, but she’s so happy”.

Jensen smirked. “Maid of honour?”.

Jared laughed. “Well….I told her I’m not wearing a dress, but yeah, something like that.  She’s already set a date.  And you’re invited too you know?”.

“Really?” the executive said.

“Yep, July 28th. Venue’s booked and everything” Jared said happily.

“I better find myself an outfit then” Jensen said before his face fell. “I’m going to be huge by then.  It’s only going to be less than 2 months from my due date.  She’s not going to want me there…”.

“Yes she is.  And so will I.  But seriously though, giving her the money for the wedding…” Jared began.

Jensen shook his head. “The money is nothing….its about what it represents.  I wanted to make amends with Chloe, because she‘s your best friend and I wanted to make you happy…”.

Jared stopped what he was doing for a moment and went to sit on the arm of the couch next to his boss. “I am, thank you”.  He moved an inch closer. “Is this the right time to kiss you now?”.

Smiling shyly, Jensen looked down for  a second as he blushed. “I think so..” he said as he brought his head back up and moved closer to the familiar, warm, soft lips waiting for him.

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	16. Chapter 16

Jared was playing on the X-box with Jimmy whilst Chloe was sat on the couch looking through Wedding magazines.

“What do you think of this one babe?” the petite blonde asked her fiance.

Jimmy was trying to get through a difficult guitar riff on Guitar Hero so he just nodded. “Yeah, looks great hon” he said.

“Gotta do better than that buddy to beat me!” Jared said as he slammed his riff flawlessly.

“Whatever Jayman, you’re going down, I’m just getting started!” the photographer shouted.

Chloe sighed. “Guys, seriously, you’ve been at this for over an hour, I’ve got a Wedding to plan.  Jimmy honey I need your help and Jay you’re meant to be my Maid of Honour here”.

Jimmy sniggered.

“Right seriously, I’m going to kick your ass” Jared said as he jumped up and down with his guitar controller and really went for it.

The petite blonde had enough and she went to stand in front of the television, obscuring their view as she held up the magazine open on the page showing some lillies. “You guys are not taking this seriously.  Lillies or Roses? Or neither?”.

Jared and Jimmy shouted simultaneously as they tried to see the screen but to no avail.  Jared paused the game with the remote control.

Jimmy put down his control and put an arm around his fiance. “Sweetie, I think the Lillies are gorgeous just like you.  I think they’ll be perfect, and if you’re happy then so am I?”.

Chloe smiled, but then it turned into a frown. “Really? Or are you just saying that to please me?”.

“No, honestly, go with them” Jimmy said. “Now can I finish kicking your best friend’s ass?”.

Jared guffawed. “Whatever dude!”.

“Fine.  I’m going to go and make some coffee” Chloe said, satisfied that she got her answer.

“Mine’s milk and one sugar please baby” Jimmy said as he picked up his controller again.

“Same here” Jared said as he un-paused the game and resumed play.

“Ah, men!” Chloe shouted as she headed into the kitchen.

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Jensen was sat at his desk munching away on a granola bar when his assistant walked in through the door carrying a mug of herbal tea and a fruit salad.

“Morning!” Jared said, his usual cheery self. “Here’s your breakfast…”.

“Hhm..” Jensen said as he looked rather un-amusedly at the items in front of him. “Can I get a chocolate muffin too please?”.

“A chocolate muffin? But I brought you a fruit salad, I thought that it’s a lot healthier, better for you” the young assistant commented.

“I want a chocolate muffin dammit.  This morning is the first morning in weeks that I don’t think I’m actually going to puke and I’m craving a muffin after being so ill, so can I please get one?  Or I’ll go and ask someone else” the executive said.

Jared shook his head. “Okay, it’s fine, I’ll run out to get you one, anything else whilst I’m there?”.

Jensen pondered for a moment. “If they’ve got any pastries there too can you pick me up one?”.

“As well as the muffin?” Jared asked, but instantly regretted it as his boss’s face turned even more sour.

“You are not questioning what I eat.  Just get out of here and don’t come back unless you’ve got something sweet and sickly for me to eat, okay?” Jensen said as he ungraciously shoved the rest of his granola bar into his mouth.  The phone rang and he hastily finished chewing and swallowing it before answering it only to hear his mother’s voice on the other end. “I’ve got nothing more to say to you mother, now leave me the hell alone I’ve got a business to run….”.  He slammed down the phone and before he could get his breath back, it rang again. “What!” he spat over the phone.  It was his secretary from downstairs. “Fine…I’ll be down now…” he said sighing as he hung up.  It was times like this he needed a caffeine fix or a strong drink to ease the stress.  But even if he could drink them, the smell would make him too nauseous to get it anywhere near his mouth.  The caffeine withdrawal was definitely kicking in right about now.

He was too impatient to wait for the elevator and he ran down one flight of stairs to the coffee room where his secretary was sat drinking her coffee.

“Morning sir. There’s a package through the post this morning for you, and they need a signature from you personally” the red head said to her boss.

Jensen looked at the mailman who was stood holding out a clipboard. “Pen?” he asked angrily as he snatched it from him.

The shocked mailman reached into his pocket and handed the executive a pen.

Scribbling his signature, Jensen thrust the clipboard back and grabbed the envelope before ushering him away. “What?!” he snapped as everyone in the coffee room just stared at him.  He looked at their cups of coffee with envy and hatred.  Suddenly the smell caught him and he felt nausea rise in the back of his throat. “Hasn’t anyone got any work to do around here?” he shouted.

At that moment, everyone in the coffee room stood up and went their separate ways leaving the executive alone until Jared appeared in the room with a brown paper bag. “That better be something for me to eat because I’m going to rip someone’s head off in a minute” he said.

Jared handed over the bag straight away and took a step back. “Everything okay?”.

“Fine, just fine!” Jensen shouted as he headed over to the elevator for the ride back up to the solitude of his office.

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Brad was shaking his head as he tucked into his homemade sandwiches.  

Tom was picking out the olives from his salad. “I don’t know what his problem is today.  I guess his good mood has come to an end.  I knew that it was too good to be true.  All good things come to an end.  I guess he’s back to ‘normal’, just a miserable ass”.

The older man nodded in agreement. “Getting shouted at by Mr Ackles? Just a normal day in the office buddy”.

“I wonder what’s got his back up today?” Mike chirped in as he took a seat around the lunch table. “Probably broken a nail or something….” he snorted.

Jared walked in just as he caught the last few words. “I take it you’re talking about Jensen, right?”.

“Of course….” Tom said. “I heard he even had a go at you too and you can usually do no wrong!”.

“I don’t mind, I’m used to it.  But maybe you guys should go easy on him.  I’m sure he’s just stressed and got a few things on his plate that’s all” Jared said as tore open the packaging off his tortilla wrap.

Mike scoffed. “What? You’re sticking up for the guy? Seriously?!”.

Jared just shrugged his shoulders.

“The guy’s a complete douche and he treats us all like crap.  He’s like Jekyll and Hyde and you’re on his side?” Tom added.

“I’m not….I mean…I know he can be a bit temperamental, but he’s trying hard here.  Plus who knows what’s going on in his life right now, we don’t know.  He’s not that bad, you all get your bonuses, right?” Jared said as he tried his damnedest to defend his boss.  He was the only one that knew the other side to him and he was trying to portray that to the rest of the team without being too obvious. “Look, I’m just saying give the guy a bit of a break that’s all”.

Brad looked at the young assistant with an air of suspicion.  “Do you know something that we don’t then?”.

Jared shook his head frantically. “Nope.  Like he’d tell me anything” he said feeling really bad that he was lying.  He had become quite close to his colleagues in recent months and hated being so dishonest but he couldn’t betray Jensen’s trust. “I think we just need to keep out of his way….”.

Mike threw his hands up into the air. “Hey, I’m not arguing with that, sounds good to me!” he laughed.

Lois came into the office with a stern look on her face. “Jensen just made the cleaner cry!”.

“What?” Jared asked.

“I’ve just seen her coming out of the elevator in a fit of tears, I’m guessing it wasn’t because she’d seen a spider” Lois said as she grimaced with sympathy.

Jared got to his feet.

“Where are you going? You’re not going into the Lion’s den are you?” Tom asked horrified.

“No, I’m just going to take a walk, I’ll catch y’all later” Jared said as he ran down the hallway and snuck into the elevator taking it up to the 12th floor where Jensen’s office was.  He didn’t even bother to knock and just opened the door and barged in. “What’s your problem today? Did you really have a go at the cleaner? What on earth could she have possibly have done to upset you? Maria’s a lovely girl!”.

Jensen blinked back in shock at the sudden outburst. “Because the air freshener and cleaner that she used was disgusting that’s why! Can you not smell it?”.

Jared sniffed but couldn’t really smell anything, especially anything that he deemed to be offensive. “Not really….”. He noticed that the windows were open and the breeze was causing the blinds to flap around.

“Well it stinks.  I’m just smelling everything right now and it’s freaking me out” Jensen said as he put a hand on his tummy and tugged at the belt buckle on the waist of his pants which were feeling especially tight and snug today. “The smell is giving me a headache and the only thing I can take for it is Tylenol, but in small doses, because oh yeah, I’m pregnant!”.

The younger man wasn’t sure what he could say to diffuse the situation or make his boss feel better so he just stood there for a few moments as he gathered up his thoughts. “I’m sorry it sucks…”.

“Yeah, well….there’s not a lot I can do about it right now is there?” Jensen said, sighing loudly as he leant back in his chair to take the pressure off the waistband of his pants. “I’ve got my 12 week scan next week.  I’m told that it’s kind of a big deal.  Do you want to come along? You don’t have to….”.

Jared’s anger and annoyance at his boss disappeared in an instant and his face lit up. “Absolutely.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world…”.

Jensen handed Jared the appointment card. “A week Friday at 2pm.  You can add it to my schedule under ‘Appointment’ or something inconspicuous like that.

“Okay.  I bet they’ve grown in the last month or so” Jared said smiling.

“Yeah….” Jensen said putting on a fake smile as he changed his position in his chair once again and tried to resist the urge to rub his bloated belly.

The assistant tucked the appointment card in the pocket of his suit jacket and nodded his head. “I better get back…”.

“Yeah, I’ll see you later so you can brief me on the editing for the model agency photo shoot” the executive said.  As soon as his assistant was out the door, he loosened his belt and undid the button on his pants, sighing with relief at the release.

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Jensen was in the middle of showering when he noticed the slight outward curve of his stomach.  His worst fears were realised when he realised that he was just starting to show properly.  He would now have to be careful about the way he dressed and what clothes he wore in order to hide his condition.  The fact that for the past couple of days he had been craving pastries, muffins and sweet things didn’t help the situation.

Putting on his usual pair of pants, he tugged and pulled at the zipper but it just wouldn’t give and he gave up when it still didn’t go all of the way up even after breathing in.  Trying the next pair, he had the same failure and with the next few.  When he looked at the measurements on the waistbands, they all were the same size.  He eventually found a pair that stretched enough and he covered it over with a dress shirt and long suit jacket and buttoned it up.  It would do for now, until he could get to the tailor shop at least.

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Jensen had gone to see his tailor and was horrified when he realised that he’d put on nearly two inches on his waist and needed the next size up in pants.  He nearly bit off his tailor’s head when he told him. “That can’t be right, I think you need to measure me again…”.

“With all due respect sir, I’ve tried 3 times now and they’re all coming back the same.  It’s not a problem that you’ve gained a little weight, the next size up will fit you just fine” the tailor assured.

“Whatever, just find me some pants that fit” Jensen huffed as he frowned at his shirt.  He figured that that too would start getting tight soon. “I could probably do with some new shirts too and some bigger jackets, for uh, room for expansion…”.

The tailor raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “Do you need some things from the maternity section?”.

Jensen frowned. “NO! Absolutely no! These will do just fine for now. Get me a selection in a few sizes bigger.  I’ll take this for now and I’ll get someone to come and pick up the rest up at the end of the day”.

“They won’t be ready by the end of the day.  I’ll need at least 3 days to make a few more, uh, adjustments” the tailor said as he stepped back from his client, tucking the pot of needles behind his back out of the other man’s reach.

“I’ll pay you double if you get them ready by the end of tomorrow” Jensen said as he held out his hand.

“Deal” the tailor said as he shook hands.

Whilst the tailor was busy with the transaction, Jensen studied his new suit in the mirror.  He reckoned he could probably get a month’s use out of it. His eye wandered over to the maternity suits glancing at the clothes dummy in the corner giving him a glimpse of what he would look like in a few months time. It didn’t do anything to calm his bad mood.  Tucking in the shirt and putting on the jacket he adjusted the collar and was satisfied that he looked presentable enough and was more importantly comfortable.

When he got into work, he found himself snapping at everyone he passed.  He passed Jared in the corridor on the way to his office carrying his breakfast with a worried look on his face.

“You weren’t in first thing like usual, I was worried” the assistant said. “Were you sick this morning or something?”.

Jensen grabbed the brown paper bag from the younger man and prayed that there was a muffin or a pastry in there. “No I’ve not been sick.  I had something to do that’s all…”.

Jared frowned. “Oh right.  Sorry. People have been hassling me about your whereabouts…”.

“Well it’s none of their business, I’m sure you all coped without me for an hour and a half” Jensen said as he led the way to his office and unlocked it.

“What’s your problem? That’s all you’ve done is snap at everyone around you the past couple of days.  Yesterday it was….well I don’t know, the cleaning products, what’s the matter today?” Jared asked as soon as they were through the door and in the safety of the office.

Jensen folded his arms across his chest and went to open his mouth but then closed it again quickly. “My clothes don’t fit me anymore, I had to go and see my tailor this morning to get bigger sizes.  I need you to go and pick them up for me sometime tomorrow…”. His face started to slowly turn crimson as he blushed with embarrassment.

Jared’s mouth curled into a smile and he tried to stifle a giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Jensen asked, less than amused.

“Nothing, nothing, I’m sorry” Jared said as he turned serious. “It’s, cute that’s all.  And if it’s any consolation I haven’t really noticed to be honest so if you’re worried about other people noticing, then don’t, it’s okay. I like the new suit though, it suits you”.

Taking out the muffin from the paper, Jensen looked at it and picked at a few of the crumbs from the side. “Maybe I should try and cut these out and eat fruit instead. But it smells and looks so good…”.

“Then eat it.  Don’t deprive yourself of what you enjoy.  It’ll just make you more miserable” the assistant commented.

Jensen to his own surprise, smiled. “I’ll try and control my raging hormones and be nice to everyone, okay? I can’t promise anything”.

“Just eat the muffin” Jared said.

Giving in to his urges, Jensen bit into the muffin and moaned at the taste.  It was just what he needed right now. “Good…!” he spluttered with his mouth full, before holding a finger up the air. “Mmm….wait, I almost forgot.  We’ve got a conference in 3 weeks time in LA.  The company owner for the Rodeo Bar and other advertiser’s will be there too, it’s a big deal.  I want you with me.  It’s the opening ceremony for their new bar too.  They are going to e-mail the final figures by the end of next week, but it looks like their profits have increased by at least 40%. Congratulations we got the contract”.

Jared’s face lit up like it was Christmas all over again. “Really? You’re kidding me? Actually kidding?”.

“No, I’m not.  I’m serious.  It’s all thanks to you, my wonderful assistant” Jensen said as he put his muffin down on the desk and wiped his hands on his hankerchief before wrapping his arms around Jared and planting a kiss on his forehead.

“Couldn’t have done it without it you” Jared said as he put his arms around his boss. “We make a good team”.  He put his hand on Jensen’s tummy and realised that it felt slightly rounder than the last time he touched it.

Jensen nodded his head affirmatively and didn‘t even make an attempt to pull away from the embrace. “Agreed….”.

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Chloe was sat in the changing rooms whilst she waited for her best friend and fiance to make an appearance. “Have you put them on yet? I’m waiting!” she shouted.

Jared and Jimmy were both in separate changing cubicles trying on suit’s.  The powder blue ones did not go down a hit with them what-so-ever.  
   
The taller man was the first one to emerge.  Jared cleared his throat to signal his entrance.  He checked out his reflection in the mirror and adjusted the cherry red cravat. “How do I look?”.

The petite blonde clapped her hands together with glee. “Oh wow, this is just perfect.  You look so handsome.  Do you like it too?”.

“Yeah, I do actually!” Jared said as he re-examined himself in the full-length mirror. “I think we’re on to a winner here”.

Chloe nodded her head and sighed happily. “I think so. Jimmy? Baby? You ready yet?”.

Jimmy stepped out from behind the curtains very self-consciously and stood on the spot, looking very uncomfortable, his arms flapping around down by his side.

“WOW!” Chloe gasped at her dashing fiance. “You look….incredible….” she said running up to her lover and wrapping her arms around him and started to kiss him on the lips.

Jared made choking sounds and rolled his eyes. “Ew, gross!! I’m going to puke…”.

“Shut it Jay!” Chloe joked when she pulled away from the blonde man. “I’m sorry that I can’t keep my hands off my gorgeous fiance.  What do you think of the suit baby?”.

Jimmy took a look at himself in the mirror properly and his mouth parted into a beaming smile. “I think it’s perfect.  I can’t wait to walk down the aisle with you….”.

“Neither can I” Chloe sang back as they kissed again.

Jared tried to avert his eyes so he started to goof around, humming the Wedding March song out aloud and pretending to walk down the aisle, his eyes half closed when he felt himself colliding with something, or someone he realised when he opened his eyes.  It was Jensen. “Jensen!”.

The executive looked just as stunned as his assistant. “So this is what you do on your Saturday morning’s then..”.

“We’re shopping for our suits for the Wedding” Jared said as he realised how silly he looked.

Jensen’s fingers wrapped around the cravat and tidied it up and then he smoothed down the jacket and did a couple more of the buttons up. “There…..much better”.

“Thank you” the younger man said blushing.

“Is this….the suit?” the executive enquired as Chloe approached them.

The blonde nodded her head. “I think so, yes.  What do you think? Don’t my boys look dashing?”.

“Indeed they do” Jensen remarked, not taking his eyes off his assistant.

“It’s all thanks to you that we can afford to buy them here.  I heard that this is the best tailor this side of town?” Chloe said.

“Yes” the older man quipped.

Chloe could sense that she was somehow intruding so she made an excuse to leave. “I’m going to get Jimmy fitted out with some shoes, I’ll see you in a bit Jay”.

Jared waved his head around in the air. “Okay”.  His boss was still stood in front of him, just smiling. “What are you doing here? Did I not pick up all your suits yesterday then?”.

Jensen bowed his head once. “Yes you do.  I’ve just come for a few more things, that’s all.  Some sweaters and more casual pants.  I didn’t know that you’d be here, of all the places on a Saturday morning…”.

“Well as soon as I mentioned this place to Chloe yesterday she insisted that we come here straight away.  There’s still 20 weeks until the wedding, but she’s adamant that she wanted to get our suits fitted out first before she even thinks about her dress” the  young assistant said. “Anyway, I’m going to change out of this, I probably look ridiculous in it prancing around the store…”.

“You don’t…..look ridiculous.  I can think of a few words but that’s not one of them.  I was thinking more along the line of gorgeous, elegant, dazzling and….sexy” the executive said as he lowered the tone of his voice.

Jared’s face flushed with embarrassment at the compliment. “Thank you….”.

“Look, whilst you’re here, pick out a couple more suits for work and put them on my tab.  Anything you want, it’s on me, okay?” Jensen said.

“It’s fine, you’ve done more than enough for me.  I don’t need you to keep buying me things…” Jared said, but then he realised that from his boss’s face that he had probably offended him. “I mean, thank you, but there’s no need”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve got no one else to spend my money on, and I wanted to do something nice for you to say thank you.  Thank you for being there, thank you for all your help, just thank you.  But suit yourself….” he said as he started to walk away.

Jared sighed. “Wait!” he said, pulling the other man’s arm closer to him. “I accept your offer, that’s very kind and generous of you.  I’ll pick out some killer suits for next week.  I’m going to need a tuxedo too for the opening ceremony in 3 weeks, right?”.

“Yes, I’ll get Mr Jenkins my tailor over and he can sort you out with something” Jensen said as his mood perked up again. “I’ll have to get something fitted closer to the time…who knows how unpredictable, this will be” he said signalling to his stomach.

“You’ll look amazing I’m sure.  I wish people in work could see this side to you, saw how caring and kind and generous you really are” the younger man commented.

The executive chewed down on his lips. “You have no idea how special you really are.  I’m like this because of you Jared.  You’ve turned my life upside down in a good way.  A really good way! But there’s just so many things happening right now in my life and past issues that I’ve still got to deal with….”.

“I understand.  Just know that I’m here for when you need me and I’ll be as patient as you want me to be” Jared said solemnly.

Jensen gave Jared’s hand a squeeze. “I know. Anyway, I’ve got to go.  Enjoy the rest of your day and I’ll see you Monday”.

“Okay” Jared said as he watched his boss walk out through the doors, wrapping his coat up around him and disappearing around the corner.

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	17. Chapter 17

The week had flown by and Friday was upon them.  Jensen was in his office on the phone for a conference call.  It was the day of his scan and nearly 1pm already.  He was chugging down his bottle of water as he kept looking at his watch.

Jared had some errands to run downtown, so they were going to meet in the OB/GYN office at 2pm.

The door knocked and Lois walked in holding a clipboard.

The executive paused and looked up. “Hang on….what is it Lois?” he said as he pulled the headset away from his face for a second.

“Sorry sir, but these need to be looked through by the end of the day….” the brunette said as she laid them down on his desk.

“I won’t have time this afternoon.  I’ll get them later. I’ve got a meeting that I’ve got to get to by 2pm, sorry!” Jensen said before resuming the conference call.  His nervous energy about the scan was spurring him into action to stop him from stressing out about it.  Putting the microphone back over his mouth he spoke again. “Sorry Jack, you were saying….”.

Jensen couldn’t really concentrate on the call as his nerves were increasing tenfold about the Dr’s appointment.  He was truly glad that this time he wouldn’t be all alone and that Jared would be with him.

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Jared was sat in the waiting room of the clinic in a busy waiting room full of pregnant women and men.  He felt very out of place and that everyone was staring at him and judging him in one way or another even though he knew that they probably weren’t.  It was nearly 2pm and there was no sign of his boss.  He contemplated ringing him but that would feel like he was chasing up on him.  They had spoken this morning and had agreed to meet here so it’s not like he had forgotten about it.

A nurse approached him carefully. “Mr Ackles?”.

“No, he’s on his way though, he’ll be here any second….” the young assistant said in a fit of panic as he studied his cell phone for any missed calls or messages.

“Okay, I’ll take the next patient though and I’ll come back to see if he’s here afterwards” the nurse said as she called out the next name on her list.

Jared bounced his knee up and down nervously and was almost convinced that his boss wasn’t going to turn up when he saw him come running in into the waiting room and about to approach the front desk when he saw him.  He raised his hand up in the air. “Hey!”.

Jensen was out of breath as he took a seat next to his assistant. “I’m so sorry, I got held up with a conference call and then…” he said pausing to get his breath back.

“It’s fine” Jared said reassuringly.  “They’ve just called a patient in so you’ll be after them.  So just calm down and relax.

Jensen’s face was slightly strained. “Easier said than done when you’ve been made to drink like a gallon of water before the scan” he said holding up a nearly empty large bottle of water.

Jared winced in sympathy. “They shouldn’t be too long, they seem to be calling people in and out fairly quickly….”.

“You’ve been here a while then?” the pregnant man asked his assistant.

“Yeah.  I was beginning to think that you weren’t going to turn up, or that you’d changed your mind…” Jared confessed.

“Of course not.  I’ve been worried about this appointment for a while now, so I was absolutely going to make it.  This is ridiculous though making me consume this much water and making me wait” Jensen said grumpily.

Jared tried distracting his boss from his discomfort. “We get to see the babies again”.

“Yeah” Jensen said solemnly as he tried to avert his worrying, shuffling around on the chair nervously.

A few moments later they called the executive and they were ushered into a room with an Ultrasound tech and a machine.  She looked between the two men before asking which one was her patient.

The older man raised his hand feebly. “That would be me…most definitely…”.

The Ultrasound tech signalled to the table. “If you’d like to get up on the table there for me, lower your pants down and push up your shirt and we’ll get started.  So we’ve got two babies to check out today then I understand?”.

“Yes…and a massive amount of water..” Jensen said as he paused after lowering down his pants.  He suddenly felt self conscious about lifting up his shirt to show off the pronounced outward curve of his tummy. “Uh…how far up do you want the shirt?”.

“Just so I can get to your tummy hon” the tech said politely.

Jensen pushed the shirt up over the curve and felt Jared’s eyes on him.

Jared realised that his boss felt self conscious so he smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay, there’s no need to be embarrassed about it..”.

“I know, but you’ve not seen me properly since before I got….I’ll get used to it I guess” Jensen said as he turned his head away from his assistant to try and hide his blushing and so he could focus on the screen where his babies would appear any second.  The probe was cold and hard on his tummy and caused more unwelcome pressure.

“So, we won’t be able to tell the sex of the babies today, but we can certainly tell whether they’re going to be identical or fraternal or not, would you like to know?” the tech asked the expectant couple.

Jensen’s eyes widened with shock. “You can really tell that from the scan?”. His nervousness and embarrassment had waivered almost completely after hearing that.

“Yep.  As with anything it’s not guaranteed but it will give you some sort of indication.  Are we ready?” the tech asked.

The pregnant man just nodded his head, without even looking at his assistant.  He didn’t want to take his eyes away for even a second in case he missed something.

“Okay.  Well there’s definitely two babies in here.  Two separate sacs and two separate placentas.  Looks like they are going to be fraternal” the ultrasound tech announced.

Jensen could see separate arms and legs and the two dots on the screen were no longer dots or blobs.  They looked like babies.

“Non-identical then?”! Jared perked up. He received a nod.

“It’s a slightly less risky pregnancy than if they shared a placenta.  Two strong separate heartbeats and they are measuring about the same.  12 weeks, 2 days.  It’s all good, you can relax now…” the tech said as she put a hand on Jensen’s.

Jensen grimaced in discomfort. “Not quite yet…”.

The Ultrasound technician laughed and wiped the gel from his stomach.  “Sorry hon.  Just need to listen to the heartbeats….”.

“Okay…” the executive said.  He had never heard the sound before.  Suddenly there was a rhythmical whooshing sound filling the room. “Is that?”.

“Baby A” the technician said as she took some measurements across the heart and recorded the rhythm. “Great.  And….Baby B” she announced after pausing to move the probe.

Jared was smiling insanely and held onto his boss’s hand. “Wow. That’s unreal…”.

“Yeah…” Jensen said as he exhaled slowly and felt an overwhelming amount of emotion. “Are we, done yet?” he asked.

The technician smiled. “For now, yes. Bathroom’s just to your left there.  If it’s any consolation the water got us some nice pictures, I’ll print you off some now…”.

Leaping up off the table, Jensen pulled his shirt back down and headed to the bathroom without uttering another word.

Jared reached for the printed out scan photos and started to sift through them.  The possibilities went through his head. Two girls? Two boys? One of each? Both different, both equally as beautiful as one another.  It was hard to imagine that Jensen was carrying his two babies inside of him.  It was still hard to comprehend.  He saw his boss re-appear in the corner of his eye and he turned around, handing him one of the scans. “Thank you….”.

Jensen put a hand on his stomach.

“I know this is hard….and I mean, it’s going to get a lot harder again….but this is so amazing” Jared continued. “I was thinking, I mean you don’t have to but it’s still a few weeks away so you’ve got time to think about it….”.

“Just spit it out Jared” the executive said as he tidied up his tie and reached for his jacket.

“Well the Easter holidays are coming up and I’m going back home to see my parents.  I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.  See Texas again? I mean it doesn’t have to be anything…just a friend, an acquaintance, whatever. My parents don’t pry or ask questions.  We could both do with a break before you….you know…” the younger man said making a vague gesture with his hands towards the other man’s stomach.

“I’ll think about it” Jensen said as he grabbed his briefcase and turned towards the door. “I’ve got an appointment at 3.30pm, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go…” he said before rushing out of the door.

Jared shrugged his shoulders at the technician, uttering his thanks and taking note of the next scan appointment in 8 weeks time and dashed out of the door to try and follow in pursuit of his boss but he had had too much of a head start and had long disappeared.

 

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Jensen was driving back from the OB/GYN office, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.  He needed to stall for some time before heading back to his office.

He had spent years trying to build up his tough guy bravado and for people to take him seriously as an executive and he didn’t want it to be knocked down in a split second if people saw him being all emotional.

Seeing that his babies had grown and materialised into more than just specks of mottled dots taking on a more baby looking shape and the two distinct heartbeats had been tough on his emotions.  And then Jared’s offer and invite for going to stay with his parents.  It had all been too much for him.  He realised that he had probably seemed rude, dashing away but he had to.

Everything was beginning to become more and more real everyday.  After driving around for the best part of half an hour, he decided to make a slight detour before heading back to the office.

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Jared was sat in the studio, working alongside Brad to edit and finalise the photographs from the photoshoot and promotional pictures.  To say that he was annoyed with his boss was an understatement.

“I think that we should go with these few, what do you think?” Brad asked the younger man.

“Yeah, agreed” Jared said distractedly.

Brad could sense that Jared’s usual enthusiasm wasn’t present, “Everything okay?”.

“Yeah, just an off day with Mr Ackles.  He’s an ass” the younger man said as he vented.

“That we know” Brad said as his ears pricked up.

Jensen’s voice echoed in the distance. “I said not now, just give me 20 minutes to get myself sorted okay!” he said as he stormed into the studio and stopped dead when he saw his assistant and his most senior employee.  “Can I have a word, please, Jared?”.

Jared stubbornly looked away and focused on the computer in front of him. “I’m busy…”.

Brad got to his feet. “I think that I’m well overdue for my break, I’ll leave you too it….”.

“No it’s okay Brad.  We need to get this finished” Jared said.

“We’ve got plenty of time.  I’ll catch up with you in a bit Jayman” the oldest man said, giving Jared a sympathetic squeeze on the back of his shoulder.

“Can I sit down?” Jensen asked.

“It’s your premises, you can do what you like, I don’t care” Jared said callously.

Jensen sat down and removed his trench coat and put his briefcase down onto the floor carefully.  He leant forwards and examined the photograph that his assistant was currently busy editing. “It’s looking really good.  Jimmy’s done an amazing job on these”.

Jared couldn’t keep it contained for any longer. “What the hell was that about earlier on?”.

“What?” Jensen asked innocently.

“Storming off after the scan! I was so embarrassed.  You left these behind by the way and your next appointment is on the 6th May” the younger man said as he threw the scan pictures down on the table. “Not that you care…”.

Jensen picked up the pile of scans and looked through them, pride and happiness on his face. “Of course I care.  I’m the one carrying these babies inside of me.  Look at them.  They’re two little people now, little faces, arms and legs.  It’s amazing…”.

Jared turned away from the computer screen and looked at his boss’s face which had softened.  There was a glistening in his eyes. “I know…”.

“That’s why I freaked out.  Another reality check that I’m now going to be responsible for two other people.  I’m scared of messing things up…” Jensen admitted.

“You’re not going to mess things up” Jared said as he tried to console Jensen.  He felt guilty for being pissed at him. “How many times do I have to keep on telling you that I’m with you on this, okay?  No more self-pity, yeah?”.

“I’ve got something for you too….” Jensen said as he bent over and plucked something from the front pocket of his briefcase.  It was an envelope.  He handed it over.

Jared looked curiously and opened it up. “Airline tickets?” he checked.

The executive nodded his head and smiled. “Yep,  Two pairs of return tickets to Texas in 4 weeks time, just in time for the Easter Vacation…”.

“Wait, two pairs?” the younger man checked with his boss again.

“Yes.  That’s if the invitation is still open that is?” Jensen asked with a vague smile on his face,

Jared nodded his head enthusiastically. “Of course it is.  Like I said before there’s no obligations for anything here….”.

“I know.  But we’re having a family together so I thought that meeting your parents would kinda be the next step. That is for us, seeing as we’ve done this all back to front.  It’s up to you whether you want to tell your parents about the babies….and us.  I’ll leave that to you.  Although I think in another month they might be announcing it for me” Jensen laughed as he put a hand over his stomach.  He could feel that solid roundness through his clothes.

“We’ll see how it goes and how we feel at the time.  But I know that my parents will be psyched about the whole thing” Jared said happily before he cringed at what he said.  He realised that that had been an insensitive thing to say considering the situation his boss had with own parents.

“It’s fine.  I’m over the issues with my parents so don’t worry about it.  I was done with them a long time ago” Jensen said monotonously as if it didn’t matter to him anymore.  The truth was, he had just swept it all under the carpet waiting to be dealt with.  He couldn’t go on ignoring his parent’s phone calls because they’d catch up with him soon enough. “Besides, I’ve nearly run out of that amazing chutney so I’m going to need a top-up of it”.

“Okay.  We’re going to meet my parents.  They’re going to love you Jensen, I know they will.  I mean, you know as a friend….or whatever.  They’ll just love you either way” Jared gushed happily.

Jensen looked worried. “Well…..we’ll see.  I‘ve not really got a great track record here have I?”.

“You’ll be fine, I have faith in you” Jared said smiling.

“Thank you” the older man said as he got to his feet. “Do you think that you can keep an eye on things for me here?”.

“Sure” the young assistant said. “Everything okay?”.

“Yeah, I’m just going home for a few hours. I’m kinda tired…” Jensen said embarrassedly.

“It’s okay, if you need a nap, nothing to be ashamed about…” the younger man said.

Jensen scowled. “It’s not a nap, just going to get my head down for a bit, work from home that’s all”.

Jared turned back to the computer screen. “Okay, I’ll catch up with you in the morning.  Enjoy your nap” he teased.  Before his boss had a chance to reply he carried on. “Welcome to the start of the second trimester.  Rapid growth means naps are going to become more and more frequent.

Standing there open mouthed, Jensen was actually speechless for a change.

“Baby books” Jared said smirking.

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Jensen was sat at his desk, trawling the internet. It was a daunting task but it needed to be done, before his condition advanced much further.  He just didn’t know where to start really.  The last time it was so much easier because he only had himself to think about. Now there were two other people involved and probably eventually three.  Scrolling down the list of options he felt overwhelmed. He picked up his Blackberry and scrolled down his tedious list of contacts until he found what he was looking for.  Dialling the number, he jiggled his knee up and down nervously as he continued to look through the pictures on the computer screen in front of him.

“Hey? Mandy, right? I don’t know it you remember me, but this is Jensen, Jensen Ackles? You found me my apartment a few years back? I’m looking into real estate again….no it’s great, but it’s a bachelor pad….and I need something bigger…..a lot bigger…” he said as he put his hand over his stomach, feeling the swell.

The executive was unprepared as to what to say next. “Brief? I’m not even sure, that’s why I need your help again.  Detached house, Golden Gate area perhaps, out of the main hype of the city? It needs to be at least four bedrooms, safe neighbourhood, oh and a garden.  Family home? Yeah….I guess…yeah, I need a home to bring up a family in”.  He reached for a piece of paper and scribbled down some details. “Okay, that’s great, I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Thank you….”.  He hung up the phone and looked dreamily at a picture of one of the houses on the screen in front of him.  It had white picket fences, beautiful front yard with a porch swing and the front door looked homely and welcoming.  It was exactly along the lines that he was looking for.  Somewhere that he could properly call home.

He needed this, more than he thought that he ever would.

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Chloe’s mother Jenny, and her older sister Lana had come to town for the weekend to help the bride-to-be to chose her Wedding Dress.  They had both driven down from  Sacramento and were staying in a Hotel near by.

“I’m sorry that your father couldn’t make it hon.  He had to work, but he’s going to come and see you soon.  He wants to meet the man that’s going to marry his youngest daughter, make sure he’s good enough for our little baby girl” the blonde’s mother said as she hugged her daughter.

Chloe just blushed. “You are going to love him.  Besides Jared’s vetted him and he’s got his seal of approval so it’s all good”.

Jared walked out from his bedroom, having just quickly changed into fresh clothes after a hard day’s work in the office. “Hey Mrs Sullivan….”.

“Jared!” the oldest woman cooed as she wrapped her arms around her daughter’s best friend. “Have you grown again or have I shrunk.

“Not sure Mrs C” Jared said.

“Call me Jenny, I’ve told you again and again.  Enough with the formalities. I’m glad that you’re looking out for my baby girl.  When is someone going to make an honest man outta you then hon?” Mrs Sullivan said as she eyed up Jared. “So handsome”.

Jared just smiled shyly. “Uh, I’m not sure.  Things are a little complicated right now”.  When he saw the disappointment on the older woman’s face he brightened up. “No, it’s okay I’m happy, very happy”.  He turned his attention to the brunette in the room. “Hey Lana, how’s it going?”.

Lana smiled. “I’m good”.

Chloe jumped up and down excitedly. “Okay, come on, let’s go. Our first appointment is in 20 minutes, let’s go people” she shouted.

Mrs Sullivan rolled her eyes and looked to Jared. “How have you managed to put up with her all of this time!” she joked.

“Earplugs” Jared said amusedly.

“Hey!” Chloe said, slapping her best friend on the arm.

“But I love her to bits.  And Jimmy’s perfect for her, for real” Jared said truthfully.

Lana perked up. “So, where is he then? Your fiance?”

Chloe sighed and fingered the ring on her finger. “I’ve banished him back home for the weekend whilst I choose the dress.  We’ll come and visit you before the Wedding I promise.  I want you to meet him and he’s dying to meet you.  But seriously, let’s get going, right now!”.

Jared laughed and grabbed the keys to the apartment. “Let’s go then blondie”.

“So mom, Jared’s having a baby….” Chloe blurted out excitedly.

Mrs Sullivan gasped with delight. “What? Are you? Really?”.

“No, not me….I’ll explain the in car” Jared said as he led the way through the front door.

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Although it was a Saturday, Jensen was in the office for a couple of hours.  There was some things that he needed to catch up on without the distraction from his colleagues and Jared.

On checking his emails, he found that Mandy had sent him a few pictures of some houses that she’d found for him, with the addresses and times that they were available to be viewed on.  Emailing her back, he agreed on Wednesday.  Now that the wheels were in finally in motion it feel even more real.  It was only 2 weeks until the opening ceremony for the new Rodeo bar and their updated advertising campaign needed to be finalised.  Again, Jared had been put in charge of that and he only had to oversee the work.  His assistant had yet to let him down yet and he was doing such a great job, not much intervention was needed from his behalf.

His attention was distracted away from the potential new home when a pop-up appeared on his screen.  Normally he’d be quick to just dismiss it, rendering it a nuisance and quickly pressing the red cross in the corner of the screen, but he looked at it and felt himself get hooked in.  It was a link for an online store selling baby clothes and cribs.  Hovering his mouse over the link, he found himself clicking on it until he entered the website.  Even though he knew that there was no-one in the office today, he still looked around the room to make sure that on-one could see what he was looking at.

There were romper suits in pinks and blues, diapers, diaper genies, cribs, car seats, mobiles.  It was overwhelming and he suddenly realised that he didn’t know where the hell he was going to start on this.  And the fact that he had to double everything seeing as he was having twins.  Money obviously wasn’t the issue here, but the fact of his limited knowledge on what he needed.  He was going to need some serious help here.

Closing the screen he sighed and rubbed at his temples, feeling yet another headache come on.  He shut down his computer and grabbed his briefcase, deciding that he was done for the day.  That’s all he wanted to do was go home and rest on the couch.  Usually on a Saturday he’d be out and about and working diligently, but this pregnancy was taking a toll on his body and sapping any energy he had.  He felt so stupid for needing so many naps due to his tiredness, but realised that his body was just telling him what he needed and after his scare, he had learnt to listen.  He really needed to see Jared and right now,  Monday morning seemed such a long way away.

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Chloe had dragged her entourage around the whole of San Francisco practically trying on every Wedding dress she could find. She had tried on puffy, sleeveless, mermaid fit, long sleeved, dresses with long trails, short dresses, silk, satin, ivory, cream.  It was tireless and she was no closer to finding the perfect one.  There was one that had come close a couple hours ago, but there was too many sequins on it for her liking,

“Honey, this is the last shop surely?” Mrs Sullivan said as she was slumped back in the chair drinking yet another glass of champagne.

The petite blonde was zipping herself into yet another dress.  This one was a lot simpler and seemed to fit in all the right places.  After re-arranging the trail behind her she tidied her hair and went to open the curtain. “Not the last one, but I think that this could be the one, you know?”.

Chloe’s mother, Lana and Jared all looked up at the same time and clasped their hands over their mouths simultaneously.

“What?” Chloe asked as she searched herself out in the mirror, frantically trying to see what the problem was.

Jared sniffed and felt a tear breach the corners of his eye.

“Jay? Are you……are you seriously crying?” the blonde asked. “What’s wrong? Do I look that bad? Because I really love this dress….I can see myself walking down the aisle in this…”.

“I’m not crying Chlo” Jared lied as he wiped his eyes. “It’s just that you look so beautiful it’s unreal.  This is it.  This is the dress.

Lana was overcome with emotion too as she nodded her head. “So gorgeous honey” she said as she paraded up and down the shop wearing a turquoise bridesmaids dress. “You look like a princess”.

“Really?” the blonde asked as she started to tear up too.

“Oh baby girl” Chloe’s mother sobbed. “This is it.  Absolutely it….”.

“Wow, okay.  We’ve found the dress” Chloe said as she spun around surveying herself in the mirror.  There was nothing that needed to be changed about the dress.  The measurements and the style were just perfect, as if it had been custom made just for her. “Lana? What do you think of the bridesmaid dress?”.

It was the older sister’s turn to look in the mirror as she twirled on the spot.  She smiled. “I think it’s perfect too” she said throwing her arms around her younger sister.  They both held each other tight and jumped up and down on the spot until their mother joined them.

Jared just stood there, laughing and smiling happily.  He was so unbelievably happy for his best friend and overcome with joy.  He just wished that he had someone to share his joy with.

He longed for Jensen.

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Jensen yawned as he let himself into his apartment.

Loretta was busy cleaning the kitchen, singing to herself when she jumped up. “Oh, Mon Dieu.  Sorry Meester Ackles,  You not here on a Saturday usually.  I thought you would be out.  I’ll get out from under your feet right now” she said as she took off her cleaning gloves.

“No, it’s fine, you carry on.  I just needed, to lie down that’s all. Please continue” the executive said as he took his coat off and hung it up on the rack.  He leant down to pet Lucy as she approached him to be smoothed. “I actually wanted to speak to you as it happens.  Why don’t we sit down?” he suggested as he signalled to the kitchen table.

Loretta looked slightly worried as she cautiously strode over to the table and took a seat in one of the chairs. “What’s wrong? My work not good enough? Are you getting rid of me?”.

Jensen shook his head frantically. “No, no of course not.  You do an amazing job, with everything, there’s no way that I’d get rid of you.  But you know that I’m having a baby, right?”.

The Portugese woman nodded her head slowly, trying to understand where her boss was going with this.

“Well, I’m having twins in fact.  And you were right, I’m going to need a much bigger place to live.  I’ve started to look for houses on the other side of the City.  I’ve not found anything yet, but I’m in the process of looking.  I was wondering if you’d be interested in moving with me.  I’m going to need a housekeeper to keep a house clean and tidy, and with twins, it’s not going to be easy.  I was wondering…hoping actually if you were up to the task.  Obviously I’d pay you a lot more, and pay your travelling expenses.  I want you to think about it.  It’s a lot to take on, but I want to give you the benefit first” Jensen said.

“Twins? House?” Loretta said as she digested all of the information that she’d just been given. “I’d love to! Makes me so happy” she squealed as she gave her boss a squeeze and then pulled away looking apologetically. “Sorry”.

Jensen initially flinched but then allowed his housekeeper to exchange a brief moment of her elation with him. “So that’s a yes then?”.

Loretta nodded her head. “Of course! Now you look so tired, so I’ll leave and you can sleep”.

“It’s okay, I’m fine, carry on” Jensen said heroically as he fought to stifle a yawn.

“Nonsense, you need to rest…” Loretta said as she reached for her coat and made a move to go.

“Have you been speaking to Jared by any chance?” the executive asked jokingly.

The Portugese woman looked a tad confused. “No…why? I come back Monday, yes?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you”.

“I left you a lasagne in the fridge for you” Loretta announced as she paused by the front door. “Good home cooked food, lots of vegetables and vitamins, good for babies…”.

“Thank you” Jensen said sincerely as he smiled and waved her off.  The thought of proper home cooked food superceded his need for sleep right now so he sauntered over to the fridge and served up a portion to re-heat.

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Wednesday rolled around and Jensen was getting ready to meet Mandy to look around real estate.  He had yet to tell Jared where he was going to.  It wasn’t that he was being secretive about it, he just didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet until he found something.  As he put his coat on, his assistant appeared in the doorway.

“Are you going somewhere?” the younger man enquired as he leant casually against the doorframe, smiling from ear to ear.  He always had the knack of brightening up any room he walked into.

Jensen thought that right now he exuded sex appeal. This was making it even harder to come up with a white lie. “Yeah, I’ve got a meeting”.

“Oh, it’s not written down anywhere, I thought that you had this afternoon free?” Jared asked in confusion.

Jensen smiled. “Last minute thing, I’ll be a few hours…..I’ll catch up with you later on….”.  As he made to leave he felt a pang of guilt. “How about I take you out for dinner later on?  As you are, that suit is totally doing it for me, have I told you that you look good in blue?”.

Jared smiled. “I do believe that you’re hitting on me Mr Ackles”.

The executive put his hand on his assistant’s hip and leaned in for a kiss. “I think so.  I’ve got to go, I’m going to be late.  Pick you up at 7pm?”.

“Sure thing.  Wait! I noticed that you didn’t eat lunch yet.  I’ve brought you a cheese sandwich.  Take it with you.  You’ve got to eat regularly remember?” Jared said as he handed over the sandwich to his boss.

Jensen took the sandwich and smiled wider. “Thank you….” he said.

“Don’t want you passing out in this meeting.  You’re looking tired too, anything I can help with?” the younger man asked.

“No, I’m good thanks.  I’ll take it easy this afternoon, okay?” Jensen said as he tried to stifle a yawn. “See you later…”.

Jared smiled. “See you later” he said sighing happily as he watched his boss leave.  It was times like these that he wanted to shout out, let the world know how happy he was right now with Jensen.  But it would happen, when the time was right.

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Jensen pulled up at the address of the first house that was on his schedule for the afternoon to meet Mandy.  His first impressions was that it was a nice house.  Nothing great, but nice enough.  He was going to reserve judgement until he got inside and had a proper look around.  Precariously knocking on the front door he smiled when the real estate woman opened the door.

“Mr Ackles….welcome, come in….” Mandy said cheerfully.  She was a woman in her late fourties, always smartly dressed and very friendly and approachable.  Her list of clients were usually prestigious and reasonably wealthy. “How are you? It’s been a while….”.

“Yeah, I’m good” Jensen said as he peered around the hallway as he entered the house.

Mandy looked down at her clipboard. “Okay, so I’ve lined us up a few properties for this afternoon.  Now some need decorating, some you can move in and deal with afterwards and others are kind of a blank canvas.  It depends how much you want to do.  But I’m guessing that you’ll be hiring someone anyway to carry out any work….”.

“Yes.  I won’t have time….or the capablilities to do anything myself” Jensen admitted.

“But they all fit your brief Mr Ackles.  It makes my job so much easier when budget and money is of no obstacle.  But it means we can be more picky…..so lets start with this little gem.  Four bedrooms, Georgian style, 2 bathrooms, downstairs office….”.

Jensen nodded his head enthusiastically as he looked around.

So that’s how his afternoon panned out, driving around the outskirts of the city, going from house to house until he was parked in the driveway of the last house on their itinerary.  It had worn him out and he was exhausted.  He had to summon up the energy for one last little jaunt.

Mandy leapt out of her car and approached her client enthusiastically as she fumbled around on the key fob for this property. “So, what do you think so far?”.

Jensen half smiled. “Well, they’re great.  But they’re just not great if you know what I mean”.

“Ah, but I’ve left the best until last.  I think that this is going to impress you.  The owner hasn’t even put this up on the market yet.  I told them to hold off until I showed you” the blonde middle aged woman said happily. “Obviously the intercom and gates are usually working but they’ve been de-activated for our visit today.  So it’s secure.  Quiet location as you’ve probably realised, but close to the city centre and wonderful views of the Golden Gate bridge and the bay.  You’ll see what I mean when I show you the master bedroom”.

“The garden is immaculate too…..” the executive observed as he studied the trimmed bushes and trees and arrangement and fusion of different flowers and beautiful plants.  The lawn was perfectly mowed. “I’m afraid gardening has never been my strong point….”.

“The owner just happens to own his own garden and landscape company. Okay, let’s take you through then…” Mandy said as she opened the front door.

Jensen wandered in behind in awe at the hallway.  Everything was painted in crisp new white and cream colours to keep it all neutral.  It was a marble floor with a giant plush rug in the middle.  The staircase came off from the right hand side of the hall, spiralling upwards to the upstairs hallway.  A chandeleir hang from the ceiling. “Wow….” he marvelled.  It was simple, but effective.  It probably should have felt cold, but far from it. “Double glazing?”.

“Yes, and underfloor heating…..oh and you’ve yet to see the log fire in the lounge yet…..” Mandy said. “Or the aga in the kitchen…”.  

Sighing, Jensen rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Uh, can you show me to the bathroom please?” he asked.

“Sure” Mandy laughed. “Which one? There’s five bedrooms, four bathrooms.  One with a shower, one with a hot tub and bath, another one en-suite to the master bedroom, and the other one is down here off to the left of the hallway…”.

“The one down here will do just fine” the executive said as he excused himself.  After using the facilities, he washed his hands and looked around the generously spacious rest room. He’d only seen a part of the house but already he felt at home and was getting a good feeling about this house.  Rubbing his stomach, he followed his senses and found Mandy standing in the middle of the kitchen waiting to talk him through.  There was a large wooden kitchen table with 8 chairs surrounding it.  What he would have thought counted as a family kitchen.  The granite worktops were an added bonus.  Suddenly feeling dizzy, he reached out and grabbed the edge of the table and sat himself down on one of the chairs before he fell down.

“Mr Ackles? Are you feeling okay?” Mandy asked as she rushed over.

Jensen cleared his throat. “I’m okay.  I’ve just skipped lunch that’s all.  I’ll eat my sandwich when I get back to the car.  It’ll pass in a minute”.

“I got that a lot when I was pregnant with my two boys” the older woman said. “Low blood sugar is a bitch.  You should really eat at regular intervals…”.

“How did you know?” Jensen asked, slightly surprised that it was obvious to an outsider.  He thought he was hiding it quite well..

“Well you’re upgrading your bachelor pad to a ‘family home’ I believe the brief you gave me was.  And if you don’t mind me saying so, you don’t look like you’re the kind of…..” she said cutting herself short to think of the words she wanted to say without offending her client.

“….family man?” Jensen offered. “Yeah, I know.  I’m not.  But things change.  I need to change, so I guess starting with a safe home that I can raise my family in is a start, right?”.

Mandy sat down on the kitchen table next to her client. “Absolutely.  There’s a playroom upstairs, as well as a nursery, and then three other bedrooms.  I think the owners have set up a video and audio baby monitor system in the nursery.  It’s a child safe home.  I think it will be perfect.  Are you ready to see the rest of the house, or do you need another minute or two?”.

Jensen rubbed his stomach and unbuttoned his coat now that the other woman knew about his condition, not that he was intentionally trying to hide it. “No, I’m good thank you, let’s go.  Although from what I’ve seen so far, I think this is it.  Out of interest, why are the current owners moving? The place isn’t haunted or anything?”.

“No.  Their business has been moved to Vancouver, so they’re heading up there to live now.  They’ve invested a lot of time and money in this house to bring it up to this standard.  So nothing really needs to be done to it seeing as it’s all in neutral colours.  How soon would you need to move in?” Mandy asked, looking at the executive’s stomach trying to gauge how far along he was.

“There’s no hurry.  I’m not due until the end of the Summer.  But I’d like to move in within the next couple of months” Jensen stated. “I don’t want to leave it too long.  It’s hard enough as it is now….”.

Mandy smiled. “That’s perfect.  The current owners need about 6 weeks to sort their affairs out.  They want a quick sale and of course I can rush things along to make it easier on both parties.  So you’re interested?”.

“Definitely.  Show me the rest” Jensen said as he got to his feet slowly, not wanting to make his dizzy spell any worse.

“Follow me….” the real estate representative said excitedly.

 

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	18. Chapter 18

After heading home for a nap (although he didn’t want to admit it), Jensen had picked his assistant up from his apartment and had taken them to one of his favourite restaurants.

“So everything’s almost ready for the open ceremony in LA.  Week Saturday, I can’t believe that’s come round so quick. Are you nervous?” Jared asked as he picked at his salad.

Jensen was wolfing down his pasta like there was no tomorrow. “I know that you’ve probably taken care of everything, so not really…”.

Jared smiled proudly. “Really? Well I want to run it past you, I’ve got it all here with me actually if you’ll take a look at it….”.

“Not tonight.  I don’t want to talk about work tonight.  I just want to spend time with you properly” the executive said as he smiled.  “We’re driving to LA”.

“Really? Wouldn’t it be easier to fly?” the younger man asked in surprise. “It would be too tiring for you being stuck in a car.  It’s a long drive…”.

“It’s fine.  I just want to spend time with you, so we can talk in private, no public transport.  Just us” Jensen said practically.

Jared started to panic. “What do we need to talk about? Is everything okay?”.

“It’s fine, more than fine.  There’s lots of things that we need to discuss that’s all” the older man said as he broke into a massive smile.

“Like what?” the young assistant asked curiously.

Leaning forward, Jensen smacked his lips together. “I bought a house today”.

“A what…..a house? You mean….” Jared said as he tried putting the words together.

“Five bedroom, four bathrooms, nursery, playroom, office, garden.  It’s perfect.  Our family home” the executive said happily. “I’ll take you to see it soon.  I can move in, in 6-8 weeks…..”.

“Wow, that’s kinda huge.  Wait, was that where you were this afternoon then? Why didn’t you say anything?” Jared asked.

“Because I wanted it to be a surprise that’s why…” Jensen said simply. “I hope you didn’t mind?”.

“Why would I mind? As long as your happy with it” Jared said happily as he took a sip from his glass of orange juice.  He would have killed for a glass of wine but figured that it wouldn’t be fair on Jensen.

Jensen sighed and put his hand on his assistant’s hand. “Because I want you to move in with me. I mean, not right away, not properly.  But it’s big enough for two, more than big enough.  Separate rooms if needs be at first.  But I’m going to need you around when the baby’s are born.  I thought we could acclimatise to each other before they come along. Plus, Chloe’s getting married so I’m guessing that her and Jimmy are going to be moving in with each other.  Just think about it.  Like I said, 6-8 weeks….”.

Jared smiled shyly. “I think that’s a great idea.  I suppose it’s the next logical step. I’ll speak to Chloe about it”.

“Well, if there’s any problem with her covering the rent, then I’ll be more than happy to re-inburse her for the costs, so she needn’t worry there”.

“Thank you, I’ll let her know” Jared said. “So, the drive the LA. Are you sure that you really want to be stuck in the car with me for all that time?”.

“I think that I should be asking you that. With your grumpy, hormonal, pregnant boss?” Jensen said humorously. “And soon to be fat….”. He looked down on himself. “Fatter…” he amended as he smoothed down the layer of clothes over himself.

“I think that it will be fun.  Wait, you’re taking the porshe are you? Do we get to take it in turns to drive then?” Jared asked jokingly.

“Yes, you can drive the porshe” Jensen said, laughing amusedly as he tucked into another few mouthfuls of food.

Jared watched with awe as his boss continued to pile food into his mouth.

“What?” the older man asked, pausing in between mouthfuls.

“Nothing.  Just glad to see a man with a healthy appetite.  Especially after you’ve been so sick” the young assistant said.

Jensen frowned slightly. “Hey, I’m eating for three you know.  I think I’m allowed”.

“I know.  I was just wondering when you were going to make any announcements about the pregnancy.  People are going to start getting suspicious soon” Jared commented.

“I know.  Still not ready quite yet.  I want to tell them in my own time.  I just want to get this opening ceremony in LA done and dusted first, then we’ll be going to Texas.  After that for sure.  If you hadn’t already realised, I like to keep my private life just that; private” the executive said as he pushed his plate away from him and pressed a hand to his stomach. “I’m done, I can’t eat another thing”.

“Well, I was beginning to wonder whether you were a bottomless pit or not” Jared joked.  He received a gentle kick to his shin for being so cheeky.  “At least you’re not throwing up anymore, that’s passed has it?”.

Jensen looked a tad uncomfortable at the question. “Well, I’m still getting nauseous at the smell of a few things.  Random things seem to set me off.  The other day I believe it was the toner from the printer”.

“Toner? Does that even have an odour to it?” the younger man asked amusedly.

“Apparently so…” the executive said smiling. “Oh, I almost forgot, I’ve got you a present….”.  He reached down to his briefcase on the floor and pulled out a small package.

Jared blushed. “Oh, thank you.  What’s this in aid of? I’ve not got you anything, sorry”.

“It’s a gift Jared.  Accept it graciously.  It doesn’t require one in return.  It’s a little something for the opening ceremony in LA.  I want you to look good seeing as you’ve worked so hard on it.  Here” Jensen said as he handed it over.  “It’s only something small”.

Taking the packet and analysing it, Jared began to tear open the paper.  He pulled out a purple and black striped silk tie.  Holding it up to his neck he smiled. “It’s great, thank you.  I love it”.

“I saw you in purple before and thought how it suited you and looks good on you so….” Jensen began. “There’s something else in there too”.

Jared ruffled his brow putting the tie down on the table and putting his hand back in the packet.  He pulled out a box and opened it slowly and carefully to reveal two silver and diamond cufflinks. “These are…gorgeous, thank you”.

Jensen smiled in satisfaction. “Like I said, I need to make sure you look good.  Not that you ever don’t.  But I wanted you to look extra special”.

The younger man beamed back and leant forwards for a kiss.  It wasn’t rushed, just a careful, gentle kiss on the lips. “Thank you”.

“It’s fine” the older man replied happily.

“I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve you.  Everything you’ve done for me with my job, and the opportunities I’ve had.  And then you….” Jared purred.

“Well…it’s all because of you.  I’ve never felt like this with anyone before.  I guess that I should be thanking you for coming into my life” Jensen said sincerely as he held the younger man’s hands in his own.

The waiter came over to take their plates. “Can I get you the dessert menu?”.

Jared shook his head. “No thank you, the food was tremendous but I couldn’t eat another thing”.

“I’ll take a look please” Jensen said as he perked up.

The waiter nodded as he carried their empty plates away and went to get the dessert menu.

“I thought you were full?” Jared enquired.

Jensen laughed. “I am, but there’s always room for pudding”.

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When Jared walked into his apartment, he heard his best friend and her fiance laughing and the sound of the television on in the background.  It had been a long day in the office, putting some of the final preparations together for the pitch on Saturday in LA. “Hey….”.

“Hey sweetie” Chloe said, as she turned her head from the TV and looked up at her friend. “You’re home late”.

Jared put down his case and laid it down on the chair along with his coat. “Yeah, you can say that again”.

“We’ve just had dinner.  There’s some left-overs in the fridge for you, just heat it up in the microwave that’s all” the petite blonde said.

“Thanks, I’m starving.  Actually, can we talk for a moment?” Jared asked.

Jimmy turned the TV off and made to get up from the couch. “I’ll leave you two too it….”.

“No, it concerns the both of you” Jared said.

“Oh, okay” the photographer said as he sat himself back down on the couch and looked curiously at his fiance.

“Everything okay hon?” Chloe asked, worriedly.

Jared sat himself down on the chair. “There’s nothing wrong Chlo.  I’m fine.  Jensen’s bought a house.  And he’s asked it I want to move in with him in a few months.  But I don’t want to leave you in the lurch with the rent.  I was wondering what your living arrangements were going to be.  Jensen said he’d cover your rent if you’re still going to be here”.

“So you’re moving out then? You’re really going to move in with him?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.  I mean he’s going to need help when the twins arrive anyway.  He said it’s big enough that we can both live separately if we like to begin with” Jared said.

Chloe looked at Jimmy and smiled. “Well actually hon, that kinda works out fine for me.  I mean Jimmy asked me to move in with him about a month ago.  But I didn’t want to leave you by yourself”.

“Why didn’t you say anything? That’s fantastic.  You needn’t have done that for me” Jared said. “I would have coped fine…”.

“Well you were thinking of me too, you daft thing.  So we’re both moving out then? All grown up, huh?” the blonde said as she suddenly felt all emotional. “End of an era.  No more Jayman and Chlo”.

Jared went over to comfort his best friend. “It’s okay.  We’re both happy, right? It’s not like we’re not going to never see each other again.  Quite the opposite I’m sure”.

“I know” Chloe said as she wrapped her arms around her two favourite men in her life. “I’m going to be an auntie, right?”.

“You are indeed” the assistant said happily. “It’s all going to work out. For all of us.  And besides, aren’t you going to be just a little bit glad to get out of this crappy apartment?”.

“It’s not that bad.  I mean, it’s given us a home for the last few years.  I’m going to miss it a bit.  I mean, we bought this old couch for like twenty dollars at the second hand store.  We’ve made it our home” Chloe said.

“Yeah” Jared said as he reminisced about their times in their apartment.  His stomach started to rumble loudly voicing his hunger. “I’m going to heat up my food, then get us a bottle of wine, to celebrate our new beginnings”.

Jimmy smiled. “That sounds like a plan, my man.  I tell you what, you eat, I’ll go out and get it”.

“Even better” Jared said as he headed off to the kitchen.

Chloe looked to her fiance. “I can’t wait to move in with you baby” she said as she kissed him on the lips.

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It was Thursday afternoon; the day before the executive and his assistant were due to set off for the 6 hour drive to LA.  Jensen found Jared in one of the studios putting the final adjustments to the arrangements.

“How’s it going?” the older man asked as he strolled in.

Jared looked up from the computer. “Yep, we’re all done and good to go”.

“Excellent” Jensen said as he braced his hand against his back and winced slightly as he sat down on one of the chairs, bracing his back against the supportable back rest.

“You okay?” Jared asked as he noticed his boss’s discomfort.

“Yeah, just a bit of bad back that’s all.  Sciatica.  I’ve gained nearly 9 pounds already so it’s no wonder the weight gain is affecting my back” Jensen said.

“Really? Well that’s good isn’t it? I mean the weight gain, not the back pain” the younger man said.

“I guess.  Now that I’ve stopped throwing up everything I eat, I seem to be making up for lost time.  I’m just so hungry all the time right now, it’s ridiculously crazy” the older man complained.

Jared laughed. “Well, I think little and often is the key.  And there are healthy options too”.

“That’s the problem.  I don’t want healthy, I’m craving all things that are bad for you” Jensen grumbled. “Anyway, enough of my moaning.  We’ve got an early start in the morning.  I want to book into the hotel before 6pm.  So I’ll pick you up at around 8am?”.

“I don’t mind driving the whole hog.  You’re looking tired and need to rest, surely” the assistant said practically.

Jensen smiled. “I’ll pick you up because I’m taking us on a slight detour first of all.  Then we can negotiate the driving after that”.

“Detour?” Jared asked inquisitively.

“Yes, detour.  That’s all I’m saying” Jensen said as he got to his feet.  He winced again as the shooting pain shot down his back and his leg. “I’m okay. I’ve made an appointment with the doctor just before we fly to Texas.  Just a routine check up that’s all. I’ll ask her about it then seeing as I can’t take any medication for it right now.  Man, I could do with a glass or Whiskey round about now”.  When Jared raised an eyebrow in disapproval, he laughed. “I’m not going to, don’t worry.  I’ve just got some phone calls to make to the manager in LA, so I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.  The weather is meant to be good, so hopefully we’ll have a smooth ride down the highway”.

“Let’s hope that won’t be the only plain sailing we’ll be doing” Jared said cautiously.

Jensen smiled. “I have every faith in you.  Besides, I’ve been overseeing your work and it’s fantastic, it’s going to be great.  They wouldn’t have gone with us if they hadn’t have liked the first pitch in the first instance. So quit with the worrying okay?”.

“Wait, aren’t I suppose to be reassuring you?” the younger man said.

Smiling, Jensen laughed, and with a quick kiss on the other man’s cheek, he started to walk away. “8am sharp!” he shouted back.

Jared sighed and watched his boss walk away, his smile growing wider.  The coming weekend was going to be fun to say the least.

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Jared was just gathering up the last of his belongings when there was a knock on his front door.  He opened it up to find Jensen standing in the hallway.  He was dressed down in beige chinos and a sweater.  His long trench coat which was usually buttoned up was unbuttoned and his hair was much more casual looking.  He looked effortlessly gorgeous and chic.  It was being dressed down like this that Jared could see the rounded stomach under his clothes as there was less bulk to hide it. “Hey, I won’t be a second….”.

“No worries….can I give you a hand with your cases?” Jensen asked as he held out his hand.

“Nope, I’ve got them all. And there’s no way that I’m letting you carry anything remotely heavy anyway” the younger man said. “Besides, I’m your assistant so I should be helping you out!”.

“I think that your job description might have shifted focus slightly don’t you think?” the executive laughed. “Ha, in more ways than one…” he said as his hand moved upwards, brushing his stomach slightly.

Jared just smirked as he gathered his cases, stubbornly picking them all up and balancing them in his arms so that Jensen wasn’t tempted to help him out. “Okay fine, you can have the key and lock up….” he said handing the key chain over to his boss when he saw him frowning in frustration when he realised he still wasn’t allowed to assist the other man.

Jensen smiled and locked the front door after his assistant had gone through the door with his luggage.  He followed as they made their way down the flight of stairs until they reached his Porsche that was parked on the side of the road across the street to them.  He opened up the trunk and watched Jared pile his suitcases in on top of his own. “I get first dibs on the driving because we’re making a slight detour remember?”.

Sliding into the passenger of the car, Jared could only wonder.

After driving out of the main hub of the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge, Jensen turned off and drove for another ten minutes or so until he made a right hand turn into a small, prestigious looking neighbourhood.  He then came to a stop outside the house that he’d recently purchased.

Jared peered out of the window curiously. “Uh, why have we stopped here?” he asked.

Jensen cleared his throat. “Can see you see that house there, peering through the shrubbery behind the gate? That’s going to be my home soon.  And yours if you still want to take me up on the offer.  Unfortunately this is as close as we can get right now because the current owners are still residing there for the time being. But once I get the keys…..what do you think?” he asked nervously.

The younger man was astonished at even the little of it that he could see.  It just screamed out ‘Jensen’, the privacy of the whole place with hidden charm, I’m sure. “I think it’s perfect.  And Chloe is going to be moving in with Jimmy, so I will indeed be taking up the offer.  If you’ll still have me after this weekend!” he joked.

“Well, whether I like it or not, I’m kind of stuck with you forever.  I’m carrying around a little reminder, or two little reminders in fact.  But as it happens, I kind of like it and are quite fond of you in fact” Jensen said as he bit down on his bottom lip.

Jared thought that he looked adorable at that moment, looking so unsure and shy.  So he leant across and kissed him on the lips, wiping his finger across them afterwards smiling at how soft they were. Let’s hit the road then shall we? Do you want me to drive yet?”.

Jensen shook his head. “I’m good for now.  We’ll have to stop soon enough for either a bathroom break or to get food, which ever one comes first.  Either way it’s totally your fault because you‘re to blame for getting me pregnant” he added jokingly.

“Quit your bitching….boss!” the younger man said humorously.

The executive just smiled coyly and put the car into first gear, and gently tapping on the gas pedal.

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Despite patches of heavy traffic on the highway and several stops for breaks and to swap drivers, the executive and his assistant made good time and arrived at the Hotel in LA by their scheduled time.

The long drive had taken it’s toll on the older man and he was exhausted to say the least even though he only drove for a fraction of the journey.  His assistant had been very stubborn when it came driving and allowing him to rest.  Jensen approached the clerk at the front desk at the Kyoto Grand Hotel and went to book them in. “There should be two executive suites booked under the name Ackles?”.

The woman on the desk tapped some buttons on her computer and frowned. “I only have you down for one room I’m afraid.  But there’s two separate king beds.  We’re all fully booked up otherwise due to the conference here this weekend.  I can check for rooms in a nearby hotel for you?”.

Jensen looked to his assistant. “Excuse me a minute” he said to the desk clerk as he spoke quietly to Jared. “How do you feel about sharing a suite? I’m okay with it if you are.  I mean, we’re going to be living with each other soon….”.

Jared nodded his head. “Yeah, that would be okay.  More than okay in fact.  Call it a practice run if you like”.

The older man looked back at the clerk. “That’s fine, thank you ma’am”. For some reason, he had no urge to shout at the woman.  He usually flew off the handle when trivial booking errors like this were made.

A concierge approached the executive and took his car keys to take car of their luggage and park the Porsche for them.  Jensen passed over a handful of dollar bills.

After a ride up in the elevator, they reached their suite on the top floor.  Jensen was stood outside the door with the key in his hand and paused. “Okay, this kinda gets old for me.  The novelty has worn off.  You can do the honours…” he said handing the key to the other man.

Jared’s eyes lit up like an excitable child as he slid the key card in the door and opened it.  He almost ran through the door and jumped up and down with excitement at the impressive luxury suite. “Wow!! This is totally a-may-zing” he chided as he jumped on one of the beds and laid down on, it bouncing the mattress. “This bed is to die for, seriously! The mattress is incredible.  I’ve got to get one of these!”.

Jensen sat down on the couch tiredly and smiled at the other man’s enthusiasm and taking pleasure in it like he supposed when people gave gifts to each other. “I bet the bathroom has marble floor and a hot tub?” he said.

“No way!” Jared said as he went rushing off into the bathroom to check it out. “It has too! And a monsoon shower. Check out the size of the plasma TV. Woah…..”.

Jensen laughed to himself.

“Sorry…” Jared apologised as he realised he was showing himself up at his inexperience of staying in posh hotels. “It’s pretty obvious that I don’t get out much, right?”.

“I think it’s sweet” the executive said as he removed his shoes and put his foot up on the foot stool and moulded himself into the back of the couch,

Jared winced. “Really? In that case, you won’t mind if I test out the shower then.  Do you need to use the bathroom first?” he checked.

“No, I’m good, you go ahead” Jensen said.

“Okay” Jared said.

Jensen laughed when he heard Jared shout out things from the bathroom about the heated towel rail and Egyptian cotton towels and complimentary spa products.

20 minutes later, Jared appeared from the bathroom, dripping wet wearing just a towel on his lower half.

The executive took one look at his wet, half naked employee and felt his burgeoning arousal increase exponentially.  The rippling muscles and abs that were usually concealed under shirts were on full show.  He focused on the tiny droplets of water skimming down his body.

“That shower was pretty damn good! It’s bigger than my whole bathroom in the apartment. Incredible” the younger man said, completely oblivious to his boss’ predicament.

“Yeah” Jensen said as he shot up from the couch and ran straight into the bathroom as he fought to adjust his pants.

Jared looked confused. “Are you okay? Are you getting sick again? You should have said something..”.

Jensen was in the bathroom pacing around trying to compose himself. “No, I’m fine.  I’ll be out in a moment.  You get yourself dressed or something….”.  Although it was the last thing he actually wanted, he tried to not picture Jared half naked and tried to will his erection to die down before he could come out of the bathroom.  Splashing some water on his flushed face he tried to cool himself down.  It was embarrassing, he felt like a horny teenager, unable to control primal instincts.  After a few minutes, he took a deep breath in and out and opened the door.

Jared was sat on the bed, wearing just his pants.  He had yet to put anything on over his top half.

Jensen threw his assistant a t-shirt from the bathroom floor. “Cover yourself up please”.

Pulling the black t-shirt on over his head Jared looked confused. “Is there a problem?”.

“No” the older man said as he tried to avoid eye contact until he could get his little problem under control.

“Really?” Jared said as he got up off the bed and walked over to confront his boss. “I thought we were fine with each other by now.  If you can’t cope with this then us living together is not going to work out….maybe it’s best if find another room in another hotel”.

“NO!” Jensen shouted out a little louder than he had expected it to.  He spun around on his heels to look at the other man. “It’s not that, it’s quite the opposite in fact.  I’m enjoying having you around…..too much. God this is so embarrassing….”.

“What’s wrong?” Jared asked worriedly as he moved closer to his boss until they were nearly pressed up against each other. “You know that you can tell me anything…”.

Jensen winced and took a small step back to move away from the friction between them.  That would just push him even more over the edge and not help matters in the slightest. “Well, I don’t know whether it’s just the pregnancy hormones or what….but lately…the past couple of weeks….I’ve been finding myself… well….”.

“Just spit it out” Jared said soothingly as he put an arm on his boss’s hips.

The executive almost shuddered at the touch. “Everything’s making me….aroused, okay? I’m horny like you wouldn’t believe”.

Jared laughed and then shouted “OW” when his boss elbowed him in the side.

“This isn’t funny Jared! It’s embarrassing.  And you’re hot, I mean super hot and I just want to rip your damn clothes off and it’s driving me insane!” Jensen said, venting his thoughts now that the initial embarrassment was over.

“I’m sorry…” Jared said as he turned serious and kept a straight face. “So I’m hot then?” he teased as he moved closer again and pressed up against his boss and smiled wickedly when he felt the hardness pressed into his own groin.

“Totally….” Jensen said as he licked his lips.  He hooked his fingers under Jared’s t-shirt and removed it as quick as it had just been put on.

“All that fuss you made about me covering up and now you want me naked again?” Jared said jokingly.  His own hands went to make on move on his boss’s sweater when the older man flinched.

“I don’t want you to see..” Jensen said as he pulled away.

“I want to.  It’s going to be so beautiful” Jared said as he pushed his hands up under the sweater.  He smiled when he felt the swell.

“Just fuck me already, please?” Jensen begged. “Never mind about pacing ourselves and taking things slow….”.

Jared carefully laid Jensen down on the bed and showered him with kisses.  He pushed up Jensen’s sweater and started to plant soft kisses on his stomach until he hesitated. “I’m not sure whether we can do this….”.

“Why not?” Jensen asked. He pulled his sweater back down. “I told you that you didn’t want to see it.  I’m fat”.

Jared put his arm around his boss to console him. “Oh my God no.  It’s not that.  That’s just incredible knowing that my babies are in there.  I meant I don’t want to hurt you.  I don’t want to hurt them.  Is it even safe?”.

Jensen opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again quickly as he thought about it. “I, don’t know.  I never thought about that. Crap! I guess we need to ask the doctor at the next appointment” he said disappointedly as he went to sit up.

The younger man gently pushed him back down onto the bed. “There’s other ways we can tend to your ‘situation’ you know?” he purred as his eyelashes fluttered open and shut as he looked lustfully at his boss.

“Okay” Jensen said as he relaxed back onto the bed and allowed his assistant to remove his pants and boxers.  Jared was right, the mattress was pretty amazing.

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After spending the evening with each other and going out for food, Jensen and his younger assistant went down to the conference room to make the final preparations for the presentation.  The Hotel Staff had followed their brief perfectly and the room was looking good and all ready to go for the next morning.

The itinerary was all set.  They would hold a presentation in the meeting room in the morning, and then the opening ceremony for the new Rodeo bar would be held in downtown LA and then they would open up the event for the corporation and host a black tie party for everyone involved in the planning and initialisation of the new bar.

Jared was up first the next morning, his stomach in knots and with a nagging feeling that he had missed something even though he knew that wasn’t the case because his incessant and rigorous planning meant that absolutely everything was taken care of.  He had ordered room service and whilst he waited for them to arrive he got changed into his suit, complete with the tie and cuff links his boss had given him just days earlier. He was admiring himself in the mirror, readjusting his tie when Jensen came out of the bathroom, clean shaven, dressed and his hair immaculately in it’s corporate side parting. The younger man’s heart leapt a little at the sight. “Wow, looking dapper Mr Ackles…”.

Jensen smiled nervously. “Thank you.  You scrub up well too by the way.  Very well in fact.  My stomach is in knots”.

“Me too!” the assistant admitted.  “I’ve ordered us room service but to be honest I don’t think that I can face eating anything right now”.

The older man shook his head and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the mini bar fridge and started sipping from it slowly. “I think I’m going to throw up….”.

“No you’re not.  It’s all going to go just perfect, okay?” Jared said as he moved closer to his boss and wrapped his arms around him, comforting him in an embrace.

“I look okay, right? I mean, It’s not obvious that I’m pregnant, right?” Jensen asked. “All eyes are going to be on us, so I feel like I’m kind of going to be on show today.  And I don’t want that.  My parents are probably going to get wind of this”.

Jared studied his boss, eyes intently on his stomach. To be fair to the older man’s tailor, the suit was very flattering and hid any major telltale signs.  One would have to look very carefully and get very close before you could make out the small bump.  To any strangers, Jensen would just look well proportioned and well rounded “You look great, okay? Don’t worry”.

There was a knock on the door, their room service.  The maid came in and placed the breakfast trays down on the table.  There was a selection of pastries, muffins, fruit, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and bread.

The smell of the salmon hit Jensen straight away and he covered his nose and mouth with his hand. “Salmon, get it away….” he said feeling suddenly nauseated as he made a dash to the bathroom.

“I’m on the case” Jared said as he quickly whipped the plate away and ran after the maid.  When he returned in the room Jensen was sat on the edge of the couch, breathing in and out slowly. “Better?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah.  That used to be my favourite, but I guess not anymore” he said sadly.

The younger man put a danish and a muffin on a plate for his boss and handed it over to him. “Here.  Your favourites now.  I know you feel sick right now but you’ve got to eat.  Can’t have you passing out on me in front of everyone.  Now that would make the front page of the LA times for a different reason”.

The executive laughed and took a bite from the muffin and nodded his head. “I’ve done this a hundred times before, why am I so nervous this time? It’s crazy”.

Jared quickly tucked a napkin into his boss’s collar. “Crumbs….”.

“Thank you” Jensen said blushing as he brushed some stray crumbs from his lap. He looked at his watch. “We’ve got 25 minutes until the briefing. Just go through things again one more time”.

“Okay. Got my presentation on the memory stick, er, flash cards in my pocket, right here.  Opening with the joke about choosing them for the Christmas party and going from there, then my inspiration from us being from Texas and bringing it to California.  Then the calculations and figures of the net and gross incomes.  Then address Mr Singer the Rodeo Bar’s chief executive manager and thank them for entrusting us and wish them good luck for the future venture and hope that it will bring even bigger mutual benefits.  And then over to you.  Have I missed anything out there?” Jared asked

“No, I think you have everything covered here” Jensen said as he relaxed somewhat.

“Then, back to the room to change, then tuxedo’s and party time after you cut the red ribbon declaring them open!” Jared said excitedly. “I’m not going on any bucking bronco this time though, forget it!”.

Jensen mock pouted and then laughed. “Awkward social gatherings.  Great, my favourite” he complained. “Usually I’m able to drown my sorrows to help numb the pain of it all.  But that’s out of the question this time.  Not that I mind” he said as he turned his attention to his stomach.

“You’ll be fine.  I’m sure you’ll end up enjoying, if only just for the food, right?” Jared said trying to make the whole thing sound more appealing to his boss. “I’m going to set up the computer in the conference room and get the presentation set up, shall I meet you down there?”.

“Yeah, go ahead, I’ll be down in just a minute” the older man said as he got to his feet.  He needed to brush his teeth and freshen up again.

“Okay” Jared said as he left the room.  He was glad of the break for a few minutes to calm his nerves.  The truth was, he wanted to get away so he could quickly knock back a few shots of caffeine to set him up but he didn’t want to rub salt in the wounds with his boss because he couldn’t have any right now. As he took the elevator down to the ground floor, he gave himself a little pep talk. “You can do this…..” he muttered to himself.

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Jared’s initial pitch went flawlessly and he remained professional the whole time. Jensen was sat down on a chair looking up at him with admiration and pride.  After all, everything that his assistant did and said, at the end of the day reflected on him.  But he needn’t have worried.  Before he knew it, Jared was summoning him to the floor.

Jensen slowly got to his feet at the applause and went to take over from his employee.  It didn’t matter how many times he did this, it didn’t get any easier. “Thank you Jared” he said winking to his young assistant. “Well, I think that everything has been covered.  I’d like to thank you for letting us be a part in re-inventing your company and enabling you to increase your chain.  All credit here should be given solely to my young associate here, a very able and competent young man who, although at the start of his career has shown promise and professionalism throughout and he’s an asset to my company. My risk in allowing him to undertake the enormity of this task has paid off.  So thank you Jared, and thank you Mr Singer” he said then addressing the CEO. “We look forward to the opening night later on, I’m sure you and your staff will put on a great spread for us.  And thank you for having us and involving us in your special night”.

Mr Singer got to his feet and shook the other executive’s hand firmly and smiled. “Thank you Mr Ackles.  Well, I’m going to make this quick.  Thank you for taking a risk for us and investing time and money on us and I’m even happier that your gamble has paid off and that we’ve been able to expand our horizons.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my workforce who have also played a part in making this venture a success. So congratulations everyone, and hope that you will all enjoy the after party so to speak”.

The room erupted into applause and cameras were flashing from different directions.

The Rodeo bar CEO, Mr Singer approached the executive and his assistant and shook hands with them.  Jensen stood next to Jared and other man stood next to them as the camera’s went off capturing the moment.

Jensen kept fiddling with the buttons on his jacket self consciously as more photographs were being taken.

“I feel so short in comparison” Mr Singer said laughing as he looked up at the other two men.

Once the crowd died down and dispersed, Jensen flopped down tiredly onto one of the chairs.

Jared emerged carrying over a glass of water. “Here, looks like you could do with this” he said kindly.

Jensen smiled weakly and took the glass, taking a sip from it. “Thank you. Just need to get all the documents and contracts in order and then I guess we can relax tonight after we cut that red tape.  It’s all down to Mr Singer and his staff then to impress….”.

Mr Singer and one of the other executives, Mr Collins appeared. “Mr Ackles? Shall we sign on the dotted line then?”.

“Yes, lets” Jensen said as he got to his feet and followed the other men to one of the back rooms, his assistant hot on his heels.

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After finalising the contracts, Jensen and Jensen had both gone back to their hotel room to freshen up and get changed into their more formal tuxedo’s for the opening ceremony.

As Jensen cut the ribbon to the entrance of the new Rodeo bar to applause and cheers, more flashes from cameras went off to mark the moment for tomorrow’s newspapers and to document it in history and promote advertisement.

On entering, the executive and his assistant were given a tour of the establishment and then the whole place started to fill up and come to life.

“Mr Ackles?” Mr Singer asked. “Are you going to go on the bucking bronco? We need someone to start this party off!” he joked.

Jensen looked horrified. “No, it’s okay, that’s not really my thing, it would be a tad inappropriate….” he lied.

When the company CEO looked at the younger man, Jared smiled. “Catch me later.  I’m that good on there that I don’t want to put other people off….”.

Mr Singer laughed whole heartedly and gently punched Jared on the arm. “Oh, you’re funny.  You must be a hoot to work with!” he said as he sauntered off to meet and greet other people.

The tempting buffet of food, led the executive over to it and he grabbed a plate and started to pile copious amounts of food onto his plate.  He was tucking into the chicken when he spotted someone in the corner of his eye. “Oh crap….” he said, not even caring that his mouth was full.

Jared looked around the room briefly, spinning around on his heels. “What? Are you going to puke?”.

“Maybe, but not from the food” Jensen said as he dropped the chicken back onto the plate. “Jeff.  12 o’clock….don’t look, don’t look!” he said quickly as his assistant went to turn around again. “The one in the tux with the red waistcoat.  Scruffy beard.  What the hell is he doing here?” he spat.

Turning around discreetly, Jared looked at the man in question who was stood in the opposite corner happily chatting away to a group of people with a glass of what looked like Whiskey in his hand. “Jeff? Oh you mean…..crap!”.

Jensen started to stuff his face with as much chicken as he could get into his mouth in one go. “This chicken is pretty incredible, you’ve got to try it!” he said as he tapped his foot nervously on the floor as he watched Jeff who was now looking over at him and smiling.

Jared grabbed the plate from his boss and put it to one side. “Okay, calm down.  Or you will make yourself ill.  Just ignore him and come and mingle”.

“No, I need to leave right now” Jensen said as he wiped his mouth.

“Then he’ll know that he’s getting to you.  This is our gig, don’t let him ruin it, okay? Now let’s go and get a drink” Jared said as he took hold of his boss’ hand confidently.

Jensen instantly calmed at the touch and put his hand on his assistant’s back. “Okay.  Double Scotch for me please”.

Jared recoiled and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m joking, don’t worry.  Just an orange juice and soda please” the older man said as he followed the younger man to the bar.

The young assistant was ordering their drinks at the bar when Jensen felt someone brush up next to him.

Jensen turned around and was face to face with his nemesis and ex-lover Jeff. “Jeff.  Who the hell invited you to this thing.  It’s invitation only..” he scowled.

Jeff smirked as he sipped from his glass of Scotch. “I know, I’m part of the company.  I’m guess I’m still on the address book and contact list” he leant closer and brought a hand over to Jensen. “You always looked good in a tux.  Of course, you look much better out of it….”.

Jared interrupted and cleared his throat as his boss pulled away. “Can we help you?”.

“And you are?” Jeff asked as he blinked his eyes rapidly.

“Jared Padalecki” the young assistant as he extended out his hand.

Jeff shook the hand and nodded impressively. “Hhhm, firm handshake, I can see why Jensen hired you. “You’re the latest in a string of assistant’s right?”.

Jensen sighed. “Actually he’s my business partner.  He’s behind the whole Rodeo Bar Campaign. The reason that you’re even here to come and scrounge free food from!”.

Jeff licked his lips and looked down at the drink that was pushed in front of Jensen. “Let me get you a proper drink” he said summoning the bartender. “Scotch on the rocks over here please…..make it a double.  It’s his favourite” he said smugly to Jared.

“No thank you, I can order my own drink. And no alcohol, I’ve given it up” the executive said.

“Given it up? Yeah right!” Jeff scoffed.  “Don’t make me laugh.  You’re a borderline alcoholic”.

“I’m on a health-kick right now” Jensen said defensively.

Jeff guffawed even louder. “Health-kick? Really? You’re the guy who practically lives off muffins and pastries and I’ve just seen you devour a whole plate of chicken.  So cut me the crap”.

“Do you know what? I’ve had enough of this.  Come on Jared, let’s go and talk somewhere else” Jensen said as he felt the sweat gather on his brow.  It was stifling hot in here. He rubbed his hand across his forehead.

Jared noticed and whispered to his boss. “Why don’t you take your jacket off?”.

Jensen carefully put a hand on his stomach. “Because it’s hiding…..you know what…”.

“Okay” Jared said sighing loudly. “Go and get some fresh air and I’ll see about getting you some iced chips or something.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea” Jensen said as he strolled over to the entrance and left through one of the side doors.  The fresh air was a welcomed relief despite it being mild outside.  He was relishing in the fresh air when the door slid open and Jeff appeared, lighting up a cigarette and drawing on it heavily and deliberately blowing it in his face. “Do you have to smoke right here?”.

Jeff laughed. “It’s a free country.  Can’t smoke inside so I’ve got to go out here.  Want one? I know you’re partial to the odd one every now and again….”.

Jensen tried to hold his breath as he put a hand on his stomach.  The smell alone was nauseating enough let alone the damage it was doing by inhaling it. “Nope….”.

“Oh yeah, you’re on this health kick aren’t you, sorry, my bad.  For someone who is supposedly so health conscious right now, you’ve plumped up a bit” Jeff said as he studied the other man,  When Jensen gave him a dirty look, he backtracked. “No, don’t get me wrong, I mean it looks great on you, the extra weight, you were far too skinny before anyway.  In fact, you look different, I mean there’s something really different about you.  If I didn’t know any better then I’d say that you were pregnant.  But I know that can’t be right….”.

Jensen smirked. “What makes you say that?”.

Scoffing, Jeff took another long drag on his cigarette. “Please, Mr High and Mighty Jensen Ackles, a family man? That’s ludicrous”.

Putting his hand purposely on his stomach Jensen smiled. “Maybe I’ve changed” he said as he walked back into the bar and headed for the bathroom.

Jeff was too shocked to even speak, so he quickly stubbed out his half finished cigarette and followed his ex into the bathroom.

Jensen was standing by one of the stalls contemplating his next move when Jeff rushed in.

“Seriously? I think that this counts as stalking you know?” Jensen said.

“Bathroom again? This is the third time tonight already” Jeff said smugly.

“Quit following me” Jensen said as he changed his mind.  He felt too self-conscious so headed into one of the cubicles for some privacy and slammed the door shut in anger.

Jeff sidled up to the urinal and unzipped his pants. “Come on, it’s nothing that I’ve never seen before.  You’ve got nothing to hide.  Oh wait, yes you have!”.

Jensen just groaned in frustration from inside the cubicle.  “Just go fuck yourself and leave me alone!”.

“Oh I am, I’m thinking of you the whole time” Jeff said crudely as he began to jack his cock.

After flushing and opening the door, Jensen strode over to the sink to wash his hands, rolling his eyes as he watched Jeff in the corner of his eye. “This is literally the last time I’m washing my hands of you, okay?”.

The older man zipped up and laughed. “Who would have thought it.  You, pregnant!”.

“Why is that so hard to believe.  Do you really think that you screwed me up that bad? Don’t flatter yourself Jeff” the executive said as he splashed cold water on his flushed face.

“No-one knows you’re pregnant yet! Ha, I can out you right here and now if I wanted to” Jeff said as he scratched his beard. “Mommy and daddy would find out that their only son isn’t so keen on the ladies then….”.

Jensen slammed his fist down on the sink. “No, you won’t.  You’re too scared and you’ll be out on your ass otherwise.  I can fully buy you out and proclaim every last right to your company so you need to watch your back” he said threateningly.  

The spark in Jeff’s eyes disappeared as the fuel to his fire had been diminished.

The door to the bathroom opened and Jared appeared holding a paper cup of ice.  He put his hand around Jensen’s waist. “There you are, I was worried” he said before looking up and realising that he wasn’t alone. “You still here then?”.

“Yeah.  Public bathroom, funny that?” Jeff said bitterly.  He watched the interaction between his ex and his so called business partner and assistant.  The light was back in his eyes. “Business partner, right! Baby daddy I think!”.

Jared’s head shot up with panic. “What?”.

Jensen hung his head. “He knows that I’m pregnant.  I mean he only suspects, he can’t prove anything, not for sure”.

“I don’t need to.  Jensen, why didn’t you invite Jared to Santa Barbara for that meeting a couple of months ago? You see Jared, we shared a very special night together.  A kiss.  I guess you weren’t invited because he wanted some alone time with me.  He still has feelings for me you know.  Maybe we did more than just kiss? Maybe the baby’s mine” the oldest man bragged.

“Okay, that’s enough.  I don’t care.  Yes, I’m pregnant.  Yes me and Jared are together.  Tell whoever you want, that’s willing to listen seeing as you’re just an old drunk these days. I don’t care.  Because if you do, then you’re dismissed and finished.  And without your job, you’re nothing.  So just get the hell out of my life, okay?” Jensen said.

Jared put his arm around Jensen to comfort him. “It’s okay…..just try and stay calm”.

Jeff knew that Jensen was right.  He was defeated on this one, well and truly. “Fine.  Jared? I hope that you make him happy, I sincerely do”.

Jensen sighed with relief and could see the sorrow in his ex’s eyes, but he was being cautious not to get sucked into It too much, because that’s how he got into trouble last time. “Just go….”.

“Goodbye….” Jeff said as he slunk out of the door, with his tail literally between his legs.

Jared felt Jensen go slack in his arms and start shaking.  He wrapped his arms around him in a comforting embrace. “It’s okay, you’re fine. You’re safe now”.

“Jeff is lying you know! I mean, I kissed him, but that was my closure, it didn’t mean anything at all.  Nothing else happened between us….” the executive said as he began to sob.

“I know.  I believe you.  How about we call it a night and go back to the room.  If only to get you to take your jacket off?” the young assistant said soothingly.

Jensen sniffed and nodded his head. “Yeah.  I want you sleeping next to me tonight, please?” he begged.

Jared kissed him tenderly on the forehead.  “I’m not going anywhere. I promise”.

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	19. Chapter 19

Jensen was sat at his desk, wincing at the pain in his lower back.  He knew that he could take some Tylenol to take the edge off the pain, but he didn’t want to take any medication if he could help it, for fear of harming the babies.  He had coped with worst pain in his life.

Jared strolled in with some paperwork that needed signing. “Have you recovered from the weekend yet?”.

“Yeah, just about” Jensen said as he tried in vain to stifle a yawn. “I can’t believe you got your own way and drove the whole way back”.

The younger man grinned. “Didn’t really have much choice anyway.  You didn’t even stir when I stopped for gas.  You were dead to the world.  I didn’t mind, you were exhausted and obviously needed sleep”.

“Yeah” Jensen said groaning as he shifted his position in his chair.

“You okay?” the young assistant asked worriedly as he picked up on the discomfort.

“My back is a tad sore that’s all” Jensen admitted as he put his hand behind him. “Damn sciatica again”.

Jared frowned and walked around the other side of the desk.  “No wonder, get up, the lumbar support on this chair is all wrong” he said as he began to adjust it. “Try this….” he said when he’d made some adjustments.

Jensen sat back down and moaned as the back of the chair supported his aching back in all the right places. “That’s great”.

The younger man went to pick up his boss’s briefcase from the floor to move it one side when his eyes went wide. “And this briefcase is way too heavy, what the hell are you carrying in here? Surely there’s some things that you can take out of it! No wonder your back is hurting….”.

Laughing, Jensen folded his arms across over his stomach. “You’re so sweet, but I think the main problem here is the 11 or 12 pounds that I’ve gained”.

“That much? Really?” Jared said jokingly. “I can’t even notice….”.

Jensen mock scowled at his assistant. “Right, sure you can’t. People are going to know really soon.  By the time we get back from Texas, it’s going to be blindingly obvious!”

“Is that going to be a bad thing?” Jared asked as he wrapped his arms around his boss in a comforting embrace.

“Do you know what? No.  I’m ready for people to know.  I want people to know.  Telling Jeff, despite the circumstances, it felt amazing to say it out loud for everyone to hear. I mean, I’m bringing new life into this world, I’m not ashamed!” Jensen said before stopping.  He had surprised himself with his own words. “I’ll make a formal announcement when we get back”.

Jared smiled openly. “What about us?”.

Jensen licked his lips. “Well, I kinda think that all this sneaking around and secrecy is quite hot, don’t you think? I’m not quite ready to share you just yet”.

“I agree” the younger man said. “Because it feels so wrong and naughty when I do this…” he said kissing his boss on the cheek. “And this….” he whispered when he moved to Jensen’s mouth. “And this…..”.

The door knocked, interrupting their kiss and they both pulled away hastily.  Jared ran around to the other side of the desk and made himself look busy.

“Come in!” Jensen shouted after wiping his mouth and clearing his throat.

“So I need you to sign these?” Jared said as he handed over a pen, deliberately brushing the other man’s hand as he went, envoking a private smile between them as the door to the office swung open.

Brad peered around the door and entered the office cautiously. “Congratulations on the opening night and the new Rodeo Bar.  I saw some highlights on the LA news page on the internet.  Anyway, Mr Ackles, there’s someone here to see you downstairs.  Are you expecting a Mr Sanders?”.

“Crap, yes.  I totally forgot” Jensen said as he shot up from his chair, hissing at the sharp pain down his leg radiating from his back,

“Boss? You okay?” Brad enquired.

Jensen nodded his head once the pain had subsided. “Fine.  I must have been sitting awkwardly or something” he said as he led the way.

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The next day, when Jensen walked into his office, Jared was waiting for him, sitting at his desk, arms folded across his chest and smiling, with a bag of mini muffins in front of him.

Jensen laughed. “What are you doing here so early? And why are you sitting in my chair?” he asked.

Jared leant back into the back rest and grinned. “Just testing it out”.

Pointing to the brown paper bag, Jensen’s eyes lit up. “Chocolate? Blueberry?”.

“A selection of both.  They’re bite size so you can eat them guilt free” Jared said as he pushed the bag over.

“Oh God, did I mention how great you are?” Jensen said as he dove in and grabbed the first one that he came across and stuffed it into his mouth. “Mmmm…….blueberry.  I think I need a chocolate one now to even things out” he said as he rifled around in the bag.

Jared got to his feet. “Come and sit down”.

“Nope, I’m good, I’ve got a meeting in 10 minutes in the conference room. I’ll need you to take notes” Jensen said.

“I know, just come and sit down for one minute.  I promise that you’ll like it, please?” the younger man pleaded as he put his hands together in a prayer position.

Jensen narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “O-kay, what have you done?”.

“Just come and sit down, please?” Jared said, his eyes pleading with his boss.

“Okay” the older man said as he walked over to his chair and sat down slowly. “Wow….” he said as he adjusted his position.  It felt different, in a good way.  In a really good way.  It was now beyond comfortable.  There was added back support and it moulded into the back of his spine and the seat itself was cushioned but firm. “Is this my chair?”.

Jared approached his boss from behind and spun the chair around to face him. “Yes.  It’s got some added extras that’s all. The man in the shop did a good sell.  Said it’s perfect for pregnancy because it supports your spine in all the right places and helps to correct the lordosis in your back when you get bigger.  And the cushion at the bottom should help ease the discomfort of sciatica.  Or so he told me…well I bought it anyway.  I think it’s pretty much spot on…”.

Jensen moaned in delight. “Oh yeah…..that it is.  It’s amazing.  But now we have a major problem”.

Raising an eyebrow, Jared shrugged his shoulders. “What’s that?”.

“This is so damn comfortable I don’t want to move and I’ve got to get to that meeting” Jensen whined as he closed his eyes.

“It’s Velcro? You can take it with you!” Jared said, as he mockingly acted out the actions of the sales person who sold it to him.

“Really?” the executive said. “Now that’s tempting.  But as nice as that sounds, I don’t want to be too relaxed in the board room, so I’m keeping this here.  For special occasions only.  You’re so considerate, thank you”.

“Anything to make you happy.  If you’re not happy and all grumpy then you take it out on everyone else and they take it out on me.  So win-win from my point of view!” Jared said jokingly.

Jensen laughed and reached for another mini-muffin. “Whatever, my cushion, win for me too”.

“I think this trip to Texas is going to do you good.  Do us both good.  You need a break, just get away from it all for a week.  Brad can handle it right? I know, I know, you’re way too stubborn but……”.

“Okay” Jensen agreed readily.

“What?” Jared asked in shock. “You’re agreeing with me? You’re actually willing to give up work for a week?”.

“Uh huh” the older man said as he wiped his hands on a napkin to get rid of the grease from the muffins. “I think it’s a great idea.  I’m too much of a control freak and I need to start letting go of the reigns a little, take the stresses and burdens away.  I’ve got two other people to think about right now.  And they come first…” the pregnant man said.

Jared sighed and relaxed. He wasn’t sure what had caused this sudden un-characteristic change in his boss, but he was glad. “Wow.  I thought that I’d at least have a bit of a fight on my hands.  That was too easy”.

“I just feel….for the first time….I feel pregnant.  I know that sounds strange, but I do.  And I’m carrying two babies inside me, and I’m responsible for them.  I need to start properly taking this seriously and look after them.  I don’t even care about getting fat anymore, or getting stretch marks.  Or telling everyone that I’m pregnant. I’m happy.  I never thought that I’d ever have children, hell I never would have believed anyone who said I’d be happily pregnant some day.  But this feels so right, and so incredible.  Wow, and I sound like such a sap right now.  This pregnancy is making me go soft, it’s turning my brain to mush” Jensen admitted as he shook his head.

“It’s perfectly okay to talk about feelings you know” the younger man said as he patiently listened.  It wasn’t often that his boss opened up about things, so when he did, he listened intently.

“The Ice Queen has melted, right?” Jensen said slyly.

Jared nodded his head and then backtracked. “Wait, how did you know….that people called you that? And you don’t mind?”.

Jensen got to his feet and gathered up some notes that he would need for his meeting. “This is my office and building.  I know the ins and outs of everything. I hear things and I’m not stupid.  Plus, I thought if that’s the worst they could do, then I wasn’t doing too badly.  If it earnt me respect, then…..anyway. I suppose I better go and show my face then. I hate stats meetings at the best of times.  At least I’ll have something pretty to look at?”.

Biting down on his lip, Jared laughed. “Pretty, eh?”.

“Why do you think I hired you in the first place?” the executive said.

“Er, by default because you’d already ruled everyone else out of the job?” Jared said jokingly.

“That too” Jensen said amusedly as he led the way out of his office.

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Jensen was sat nervously on the bed in the doctor’s office.

The Dr smiled at her patient. “So how are you feeling Jensen?”  
   
Jensen exhaled slowly. “Pregnant!” he laughed.  
   
“Well that’s good. Any problems?” Dr Lane asked.  
   
“Other than gaining weight at the rate of knots and back pain?” the pregnant man laughed.  
   
The Dr smiled in sympathy. She had weighed him and took some measurements. “Well actually, you've probably not gained quite enough weight yet, so you're fine. Lets just check your blood pressure” she said as she wrapped the cuff around his arm.  
   
Jared smiled at his boss.  
   
“Hhm, have you been under any undue stress recently?” Dr lane asked her patient as she looked at the reading on the machine.  
   
Jensen cleared his throat as he frowned. “Uh, maybe a little more than usual” he admitted, trying not to think about the weekend and Jeff.  
   
Jared gave him a warning look to get him to tell the whole truth. “Is there a problem?”.  
   
“Blood pressure is a little over normal, but I'm not overly concerned. So I hear that you want to fly to Texas tomorrow then?” the doctor asked kindly.  
   
Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah, is that going to be a problem then?”.  
   
Dr lane looked stern. “Is this for vacation or business?”.  
   
Jared interrupted. “Vacation only. No business allowed. He's going to put his feet up and be pampered all week. Plus my mom will feed him up for sure. Going to be a stress free zone”.  
   
“In that case, that’s just what I'm ordering. Sounds like just what you need. Doctor’s orders”.  
   
“So the flight will be okay then?” Jensen asked apprehensively as he rubbed his hand up and around his belly.  
   
“Yes. I wouldn't recommend it on a regular basis though and up to 22 weeks is safe for a twin pregnancy. Just you're at a higher risk for DVT, so you'll need to drink loads and keep moving around. And I'd recommend a pillow to support your back. But I'm guessing you're going to be looked after just fine” the doctor said as she looked towards the other man.  
   
Jared nodded his head in agreement. “Absolutely Dr Lane”.  
   
Dr lane seemed more than satisfied. “Okay excellent. Well I'm more than happy with your progress so far Jensen. I'll see you in a few weeks for your 20 week scan so we can find out the sexes if you like”.  
   
The two men nodded happily and then laughed as they realised they were both in agreement with each other.  
   
“So we're all done here then for today. Is there anything else that you want to ask me? Any other concerns?”.  
   
Jensen squirmed around on the table and looked more than uncomfortable. “Uh....this is a bit awkward.....but um, how about, engaging in er.…”.  
   
Feeling sorry for his boss, Jared intervened. .”.....relations” he finished.  
   
Dr lane smiled. “Well the second trimester is the best time for it, so as long as you both feel comfortable and proceed with caution, then go for it”.  
   
Jensen exhaled loudly. “Okay, great”, he said as he manoeuvred himself to get up, taking Jared’s hand for support.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed about.  It’s a healthy part of any relationship” Dr Lane said.

Jared bit down on his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud.

The older man re-adjusted his shirt, rolling the sleeves back down and buttoning up the cuffs. He changed the subject instantly. “So, I’ll see you in a month then?”.

The doctor smiled and nodded her head. “Yes.  Unless of course, you have any problems in the meantime.  Otherwise, enjoy your vacation”.

Jensen smiled and looked over at Jared. “Yes, we will.  I’m sure of it”.  
   
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Jensen was packing away some things in his office when his most senior employee walked in.  
   
Brad folded his arms across his chest. “So you're really taking a vacation then boss?”.  
   
“Yes. I think that it’s well overdue. And I'm leaving you in charge. I know that you're more than capable of handling things here” Jensen said.  
   
“What about Jared? Will he be around to act as an assistant to me?” Brad enquired.  
   
Jensen stiffened slightly. “No, I've made him take time off too, seeing as I’m away they'll be no use for him here. So, just handle things in the office for a week or so. And I'm not to be disturbed at all. Except in a dire emergency and that's only if the entire company is about to go under. I have every faith in you. You’re my most trusted and senior employee.  There's nothing major pending so you'll be fine. You've got the whole team behind you and they respect you so…”.  
   
Brad smiled. “Thank you sir.  This means a lot.  Enjoy your week off, you deserve it”.

“No worries.  I’ll leave you with the bunch of keys.  I’ve filed everything away that needs to be filed and I’ve left the list of contacts and pending contracts in the top drawer of the filing cabinet in case you need them.  Other than that, I think that’s pretty much it” the executive said as he gathered up the remaining files and folders on his desk and locked them away.  It was going to be strange to leave the office for so long and not be involved in the business for a week.  But he knew that it was for the best and he trusted his team whole-heartedly to take care of things.  Hearing it from the doctor that he needed to rest re-affirmed that he was doing the right thing.  Handing over the keys, Jensen smiled. “All yours….”.

“Thanks” Brad said as he took the keys.  He noticed how haggered and tired his boss looked.  The rest would certainly do him some good.

Jensen grabbed his briefcase and files and backed out of the office, taking one last look around him. “I’ll see you a week Monday” he said bidding farewell to the other man.

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Jensen was sat on the plane in an aisle seat, so that he could walk up and down the aisle often to stretch his legs out.  Jared was reading a book next to him in the window seat.  They were nearing the end of the flight.

Jared looked over at his boss. “How are you feeling? Do you need more water?” he asked, looking at the empty cup beside him.

“No, I’m good.  I just can’t wait to get off this damn plane” Jensen said as he shifted his legs around.  It had been so long since he’d been back to Texas and there was so many memories there for him.  Mostly all good ones, but even so he was nervous to go back to his hometown.

“Are you worried about meeting my parents?” Jared asked as he peered up from the novel he was reading. “They can be a bit much the first time you meet them but they’re harmless really and mean well.  They are looking forward to meeting you.  My mom has this primal instinct about loving having people to stay, feeding them up, looking after them”.

Jensen laughed. It sounded like when he went to stay with his grandmother back in the day.  It sounded like home and just what he craved. “That sounds good to me”.

“I believe there’ll be pot roast on the table ready for our arrival.  And homemade apple pie probably” Jared said as he raised his eyebrows.

“Well, that will definitely make things worthwhile.  No, I’m not at all nervous about meeting your parents, not in the slightest.  I’m just tired that’s all….” the older man quipped.

Jared put his book down on his lap and smiled sadly. “Why don’t you get some sleep, we’ve still got an hour before we land.  Just close your eyes….”.

Jensen shook his head. “No, I don’t mean that kind of tired, I mean, I’m just burnt out you know? What with the business, working full time.  I just need a break.  It’s been well overdue.  Like 10 years overdue.  I’m ready for it.  I haven’t even felt the babies move yet, they’re not even born and already I want to do everything I can to protect them and look after them”.

“So, is this basically your round-about way of saying that you give me permission to mother hen you to death then? Although, I may be in competition with my mother once she finds out your pregnant.  Are you still okay with telling them?” Jared checked once more.

“I want my children to have grandparents just like I did whilst I was growing up.  I doted on them.  I don’t want my parents involved in their lives, so they’re going to need a grandma and grandpa who are going to spoil them. So absolutely.  I just hope that they like me” Jensen said insecurely as he ran his hands over his stomach.  Seeing as no-one knew them, he was dressed down in just a casual shirt which was stretched over him, accentuating the outwards curve, making him look visibly pregnant.

“Of course they are going to like you.  They’ll love you, just like I do” Jared said as he leant over and kissed the other man squarely on the lips and then pulled away when he realised what he had just said. “I…I meant, you know what I mean….”.

Jensen put his hand on Jared’s to calm him down. “It’s okay. It’s fine.  I’m just worried, you know, that I know absolutely nothing about children! Where do you start?!” he yawned. “You know what? Maybe I will try and close my eyes for a bit.  This plane is getting bumpy and making me nauseous, so I’m going to try and sleep it off”.

“Okay.  I’ll be right here, so just holler if you need anything” the young assistant said.

Jensen sighed contently. “I’m good for now.  I’ve got everything I need right here” he said as he laid his hands to rest protectively on his stomach and wriggled back in the seat as he closed his eyes.

Jared’s heart leapt a little at the sight of the man that was carrying his unborn children.  He looked so peaceful right at that moment and it was hard to believe right then all of the burdens and emotional trauma that he carried around with him that made him so bitter.  His smile widened when he thought about telling his parents about the babies and Jensen’s acceptance about everything.  Jensen was right, this was definitely the vacation that he needed- for both of them.

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The rest of the flight was fairly uneventful and after claming their luggage, they had taken the short drive from the airport to the ranch where Jared’s parents lived.

As they were pulling up in the drive, Jensen felt a familiarity about the feel of the gravely stony drive and the dust rising up.  He smiled at Jared nervously and exhaled slowly.

“Are you ready?” Jared asked.

Jensen had put on an over-sized smart beige sweater to cover up his condition until they could make the announcement at least.  His stomach gurgled loudly. “Yeah, I’m ready.  I don’t look too pregnant, right? Man I‘m starved”.

“No, you’re fine.  And I can smell the pot roast from here so there’s a good chance that it’s just about ready” Jared said.

After paying the driver and retrieving their suitcases from the trunk of the car, they were stood nervously on the front door step, and Jared was about to knock on the old wooden door when it flew open and the smell of delicious food wafted out in a glorious rush.

Sherri threw her arms around her son and squeezed him tight.  She was wearing her apron which was dusted with flour.  That confirmed the apple pie. “Oh my darling boy, I’ve missed you so much! Let me look at you hon” she said once she’d pulled away and stepped back. “You’ve gone too thin, but don’t you worry about that, I’ll get some proper food down you….”.

Jared rolled his eyes and gave Jensen a ’I-told-you-so’ look. “Mom, this is Jensen” he said.

“Hey sweetie.  I’m Sherri” Jared’s mother said as he put her arms around Jensen to give him a hug. “Do come in, you boys must be tired after travelling all day.  Dinner is nearly done, the beef just needs to brown a little more and then it’s all finished”.

“Where’s dad?” Jared asked as he scanned the kitchen and strained his ears to listen out for any sounds to signal his father’s where-abouts.

“He’s working out the back hon.  More repairs.  This place is literally falling apart here!” Sherri joked as she stirred the gravy and added a tad more seasoning to it.

Jared sat down at the kitchen table and signalled to Jensen to do the same thing.

Jensen flopped down on one of the chairs, grateful for the back support after the crappy airline seats and car seat.

Sherri appeared with a pot of steaming hot coffee and some mugs, which she set down in the middle of the table.  She poured the hot liquid into one mug and after adding a splash of milk, handed it over to her son. “Jensen? Coffee?”.

The older man looked torn.  The smell of coffee no longer wanted to make him throw up and was actually starting to smell appeasing to him again. “No, I’m good thank you ma’am” he declined politely.

“Call me Sherri.  No need for formalities here” she replied. “Can I get you anything else to drink? Glass of wine, beer? What’s your poison?”.

Jensen smiled. “Actually, I’d love a glass of cold water please”.  He had instantly warmed to the  woman and felt an unresolved emotion of envy towards Jared for having such an obviously caring mother.

Sherri nodded her head and got straight to it, handing the glass over to the older man.  Sitting back down at the table she studied Jensen and tried to gauge where he stood in her son’s life.  Jared had never mentioned him before.  He had just rang up a few weeks again and said that he’d be bringing someone back with him when he returned for the Easter vacation.  She never made a point to pry in her sons lives. “So, Jensen? How do you two know each other then?”.

The older man put his glass back down on the table and swallowed hastily. “Uh, through work” he said, not wanting to give too much away on the first answer.

“Ah, so you work with that asshole of a boss too then? He sounds like a right pompous arrogant man.  Jared’s told me all about him, the way he treated him, especially when he first started the job” Sherri began.

Jared cleared his throat in shame. “Er, mom? That was months ago.  Things have….progressed since then.  He’s not so bad anymore.  Really not so bad.  We get along really well nowadays.  I mean he’s given me some amazing opportunities recently”.  He looked over to his boss to see if the comments had affected him.  He was relieved to see that he was un-phased.

Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah, he’s a changed man for sure.  Less grumpy, less obnoxious” he smiled and gave his young assistant a smile to show that he was fine. All the water that he’d drank on the plane had caught up with him and he shifted awkwardly on his chair. “Could you tell me where the bathroom is?” he asked politely.

Sherri got to her feet. “Sure honey.  Through the lounge, down the hallway and it’s on your right hand side” she said as she made a move to lead the way.

“It’s okay, I’ll find it” Jensen said as he got to his feet clumsily and tugging at his sweater to make sure his stomach was covered.  It felt like a beacon to him right now, giving his condition away.

When Jensen had left the kitchen, Sherri sidled up next to her son. “So, Jensen seems nice? And he’s mighty fine too.  What’s the deal with you too? I would snap him up in a heartbeat.  Does he like boys too?”.

Jared cringed at his mother’s words. “Do you mean is he gay?” he smirked. “Yes he is”.

“Single?” Sherri offered as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively. “Cos if you don’t snap him up then someone else is gonna”.

“Would you behave, seriously!” Jared said jokingly.  His face turned serious.  Now seemed the perfect opportunity.  It would save Jensen some of the awkwardness later on. “Actually, Jensen’s pregnant”.

“Pregnant?” Sherri confirmed. “Oh.  No wonder he looked so tired”.

Jensen sauntered back into the kitchen to see Sherri and Jared both looking at him expressively.

“Did you find everything that you needed okay?” Jared’s mother asked as she suddenly went into full-on mother mode.

Jensen stretched out a kink in his back. “Yes thank you.  You keep a lovely home here Mrs Padalecki” he praised.

“Please honey, call me Sherri” the motherly woman replied. “Now let’s go and sit down where you’ll be more comfortable.  Can’t have you sitting on an old wooden chair for long, not in your condition, please, come through into the lounge and come sit on the couch” she chastised.

Jared was biting down on his fingernails and gave his boss an apologetic look. “Sorry….”.

After following Sherri and Jared through into the lounge, Jensen practically collapsed back into the couch and moaned appreciatively at the feel of it.  Jared sat down next to him.

“How many weeks are you?” Sherri asked Jensen as she looked him up and down.

Jensen was vaguely aware that his hands were resting on his tummy and he pulled them away. “16 weeks” he replied, not sure how much Jared had already told her. “By the way, that chutney that you made Jared was amazing.  It’s the only thing that I’ve been able to keep down”.

Sherri smiled. “Thank you.  I’ll make some more, I’ve got plenty more ingredients, I’ll cook up a big batch for you”.

Jared whispered loudly to Jensen so that his mother could hear. “Told you she likes feeding people”.

“I never hear you complaining when you come home” Sherri said amusedly.

“Was I complaining?” Jared joked.

“So, an autumn baby then!” Sherri cooed as she quickly did some calculations in her head.

Jensen looked awkward for the first time since arriving. “Actually, I’m due in the Summer.  I’m having twins”.

“Oh, how wonderfully exciting.  Twins run in my family.  I stopped at Jared, his brother Jeff and sister Megan, otherwise, who knows, the next one would have quite possibly been twins.  Megan and her husband have 2 children but no twins”.

Both men laughed to themselves at the irony.  Before anyone else said anything, Jensen blurted something out. “So, how would you like more grandchildren then?”.

Sherri looked baffled by the sudden outburst. “Well, of course, I mean I love Joseph and Janey to bits.  The more the better, but I don’t think they could handle any more just yet….”.

“I mean, from Jared” Jensen hinted as he felt Jared’s eyes on him, so he gave him a smile.

“From Jared? Well yes, of course, but I’m still waiting for him to bring home a boyfriend and not some scruffy looking biker dude” Sherri said as she went off on a tangent again.

“Your wish has come true then….” Jensen said as he took Jared’s hand in his own.

Sherri’s face went from baffled, to confused to elated and back to confused in a matter of seconds. “You mean…..”.

“That I’m the father.  You’re going to be a grandma again mom” Jared beamed.

When the realisation hit her, Sherri started to squeal excitedly as she clasped her hands against her face. “Oh my God! That’s great, I mean it’s beyond great! Wow……and twins too…”.

Jensen tensed up again with nerves.  His stomach gurgled loudly again, signalling it’s lack of food.

“Oh honey, I’ll make you as much chutney as you want sweetie” Sherri said as she sat down the other side of Jensen. “I hope Jared has been looking after you? Why have you been hiding Jensen all this time Jared, where’s you manners at boy!”.

“It’s been…..complicated” Jensen admitted.

“How have you been feeling? Is everything okay?” Sherri asked. “Do we know what you’re having?”.

“One question at a time mom.  Jensen is tired” Jared told his mother.

Sherri clasped her hands across her mouth. “Sure, of course you are hon. I’ll get your bed all set up ready for you.  Oh no, wait, I’d put Jensen in the back bedroom because I wasn’t sure what the situation between the two of you was like.  But that bed is a bit small and probably not going to be very comfortable for you.  I’ll just get Jared’s bed all set up, that’s bigger and more comfortable…I‘ve got some nice Egyptian cotton sheets too…” she said as her mind was working overtime.

Jared rolled his eyes again. “Mom? Seriously, it’s fine”.

Jensen smiled. “Mrs Padalecki, please don’t go to any added trouble on my account.  I’m so tired I’d be more than happy to even sleep on the clothes line right now…”.

“Sherri, please!” Jared’s mother insisted. “Nonsense, it’s no trouble.  The least I can do is make sure that you’re comfortable.  I still can’t believe this, and twins too!” she said excitedly.

Taking Jensen’s hand and holding it against his body, Jared looked up at his mother and turned serious. “Are you really okay with this?”.

“Of course I am.  I mean, this is amazing.  As long as you’re happy sweetie then so am I? And your father is going to be psyched about this too. Wait, I’ll go and get him. Gerry!” Sherri shouted out randomly.

“I told you that everything would be okay didn’t I? I think she likes you already!” Jared said. “I mean, not even I’m allowed the Egyptian cotton sheets, so you are definitely honoured” he whispered.

Jensen laughed and relaxed back into the couch and re-adjusted his sweater over his stomach now that the announcement was over and done with.

Gerry wandered into the lounge after following the sound of his wife’s voice. “Hey son? You’re here” he said.

Jared got to his feet and went over and gave his father a brief hug. “Yeah.  Mom’s getting acquainted with Jensen here”.

Jensen was about to get to his feet to shake the older man’s hand when Sherri smiled at him. “It’s okay, no need to get up, don’t over exert yourself….”.

“Nice to meet you sir” Jensen said politely as he looked up at the older man.  He could see where Jared had got his height from.  Gerry was certainly tall and had some of the same features and stature as his son.

Sherri patted the chair next to her. “Come and sit down honey”.

Gerry looked down at himself.  He’d been out the back working and his clothes were dusty and dirty. “I was just about to jump in the shower, what’s going on?” he asked as he could sense something going on between the trio and his wife seemed overly excited about something.

“We have two new grandchildren on the way” Sherri blurted out before anyone could get a word in edgeways.

The oldest man looked between his son and Jensen to gauge which one was pregnant, finally settling on Jensen, the way he was sitting and had his hands rested on his stomach giving it away. “Really? Wow. Wait, two?” he checked.

Jensen nodded his head. “Twins”.

Scratching his chin, Gerry went over to his wife and gave her a hug before shaking both men’s hands. “Congratulations.  I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s great.  I would say we’d crack out the champagne, but that wouldn’t be fair to Jensen here.  I’ve got some sparkling grape juice somewhere I could pop the cork on.  I need that shower first, and then we’ll sit down and talk and get well acquainted” Gerry said. “I’ll leave you to be grilled some more by your mother here no doubt”.

“Hey!” Sherri said indignantly. “You stink honey, get washed up, dinner will be on the table in 10 minutes”.

Gerry rolled his eyes. “Yes dear” he said as he walked away.

Sherri got to her feet and exhaled loudly. “Wow, this is turning out to be a great visit so far. I’m just going to get ready to serve everything up”.

Jensen brushed his fingers around on Jared’s hand. “Do you need a hand with anything Mrs Pada-Sherri” he corrected.

“No honey, you stay right where you are and put your feet up until I call you though to the dinner table” Sherri said as she disappeared into the kitchen humming happily to herself as she went.

Jared leant over and kissed his boss on the lips, smiling as Jensen moaned ever so quietly. “Welcome home to Texas”.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this week you know” Jensen said.

“Jared! You can get in here and set the table for dinner!” Sherri shouted from the kitchen.

“Ha! I’m glad you will. A week of my mom nagging me? Damn!” Jared said jokingly as he got to his feet.

Jensen watched his young assistant walk away. His hands circled his tummy and he smiled contently. “I think that grandma and grandpa are going to spoil you both rotten” he said quietly. It was only for a minute or so until he would be called through to eat, but he closed his eyes and savoured the moment.

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Dinner was a relaxed affair and Sherri’s cooking had gone down a treat with everyone.  She had insisted that Jensen go back for second helpings of everything and chastised Jared for eating too much.  They had then all gathered back in the lounge again and talked more until Jensen’s yawning had Sherri insisting that he head off to bed.

Jensen was settling into bed when Jared appeared in the bedroom. “Hey.  Did you find everything okay?”.

“Yeah” the pregnant man said as he moaned gratefully the second his head hit the pillow.

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then” Jared said as he dimmed the lights.

“Why, where are you going?” Jensen asked tiredly as he yawned.

Jared folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll go and sleep in the spare back room, give you some space”.

Jensen pulled back the duvet cover and patted the other side of the bed. “No, it’s fine.  Come and join me.  This is your room.  I want you to join me, please?”.

“Okay, if you’re sure” Jared said as he quickly removed his pants and jumped in next to Jensen. “Sleep well”.

“I will” Jensen said as he fell asleep almost instantly.

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	20. Chapter 20

When Jensen woke the next morning, it took him a minute or so to realise where he was.  He was confused at first because he had woken up naturally without any alarm bringing him out of sleep.  It was in the daylight that he could see Jared’s bedroom properly.  It was like an insight into his young assistant’s life. Photographs of his college days, friends and family.  It captured the best parts of his personality.  He looked at his watch and realised that he had slept through until 10am.  He felt embarrassed that everyone else was probably downstairs and he was still here in bed.  Before he could procrastinate anymore, he heard someone tiptoe into the room.  Sitting up, he looked over to see Jared standing by the door. “Morning”.

“Hey sleepy head.  You must have been exhausted” Jared said.

“Yeah, sorry for sleeping in” Jensen said apologetically.

Jared smiled. “No need to apologise at all, I mean you‘re the guest.  My mom is making pancakes, eggs and bacon.  She wanted me to check whether that would be okay, because she said she can make something else for you if you wanted”.

Jensen laughed. “Pancakes are just fine.  I’ll be down now, I’ll just get myself dressed” he said realising he was in his pyjamas.

“It’s fine.  There’s no formalities here.  Just come downstairs as you are” Jared said.

“Okay” Jensen said reluctantly as he got to his feet.  He frowned when he realised that his black t-shirt was barely covering his stomach. “Crap, I could have swore that this fitted me when I packed it the other day”.

Jared giggled and went over to his dressing table and opened up the drawer.  He tossed over an old hoodie. “Here, just put this on for now” he said.

Jensen didn’t think twice about it and put the hoodie on, relieved that it covered the exposed skin up.  He looked down at the writing and was surprised at what he saw. “You went to MIT?”.

“Yeah, I spent a year in Boston before San Fran.  From East to West” Jared explained. “I did business and technology studies”.

“Well, I learn new things about you everyday” Jensen marvelled. “I can’t believe I’m going down to breakfast dressed like this, and you’re all dressed up” he said as looked at the younger man’s attire.

Jared looked down at his faded, distressed looking jeans, and an old checked shirt. “I’m not exactly dressed to impress.  These are my work clothes.  I’m helping my father out on the ranch today, just some running repairs”.

“Oh, well you look pretty good anyway” Jensen said, blushing slightly, as he couldn’t take his eyes away from the younger man.  The smell of breakfast from the kitchen was drifting upstairs and it smelt amazing. “Wow, those smell good…”.

“Yep.  My mom does a pretty good breakfast” Jared said proudly.

“Your mom is pretty good cook overall.  That pot roast last night was excellent, and that apple pie was just something else.  And those chutneys were superb too.  Now I know where you get your culinary skills from” the older man commended.

Jared held out a hand. “Come on then, before she starts shouting that it’s all going cold”.

Jensen got up from the bed and followed the younger man down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jared’s father was sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hand whilst his wife was happily cooking up a mound of pancakes, eggs and bacon.

Sherri turned around and smiled at Jensen as he sat down at the table. “Morning.  Did you sleep okay?”.

“Yes thank you ma-Sherri” the pregnant man said reluctantly. “I’m so sorry that I slept in so late, I do apologise….”.

The woman laughed. “Don’t be so silly hon.  You’ve got nothing planned today, you don’t need to be anywhere, and you must have been tired and needed that sleep.  Now I hope that you’re hungry”.

“I am indeed” Jensen said as he rubbed his hand over his stomach, trying not to salivate at the mere thought of the food that was just inches from his face, as Sherri put the plate down in front of him.

Jared’s hand went out to grab some pancakes when his mother batted it away.

“Guests first, don’t be so rude!” Sherri chastised. “Jensen, help yourself sweetie, don’t wait.  And take as much as you want, you need those babies nice and strong”.

Jensen tried to stop himself from smiling too hard as he looked over at an indignant Jared.  He couldn’t resist anymore, so he dug into the pancakes after adding bacon, eggs and maple syrup.  “These are really good, you know?”.

Sherri came to sit down at the table and started pouring orange juice into glasses and passed one to Jensen. “Is orange okay for you?”.

“Mmmm, that’s great, thank you” Jensen said as he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth.

“So dad, what are we going to be doing today then? What do you need sorting out?” Jared asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

Gerry cleared his throat and leant back in his chair.  “The fences need patching up, logs need chopping up, horses need to be tended to, take your pick son” he said.

Jared nodded his head. “Cool”.

“You’ve got horses?” Jensen asked, impressed. “Wow, a proper Texan ranch.

“Yeah, we’ve got a few.  There’s a beautiful grey mare who I’ve grown very fond of.  She rides likes a dream” the younger man said.

Jensen was further impressed. “You can ride? Of course you can ride…..your list of talents are endless….” he said quietly.

Jared blushed as he smiled coyly at his boss. “You should come and watch me later on, seeing as you’re not allowed to ride….”.

“Do you ride then Jensen?” Gerry asked.

“I used to.  My grandparents had a ranch just a couple of hours away actually.  I practically grew up there” Jensen admitted. “Well, I was born here in fact”.

Gerry nodded his head. “I thought I heard a slight twang of the ole’ Texan accent on you”.

Jensen nodded his head slowly. “Yeah. I’ve been around, I’ve never really stayed in the same place before.  But I’m glad I’ve still got some of my roots with me. It’s so great being back here”.

“What do you fancy doing today then? I’ve got to help with some errands, but after that, we could go for a drive or something?” Jared suggested. “You can just chill here for today.  Explore the grounds, I mean we’ve got a few acres, the horses, the livestock”.

“That sounds good.  I can do a bit of reminiscing” Jensen said as he finished eating.

Sherri looked over to the pregnant man. “Are you done sweetie? Can you I get you anything else?”.

“I’m good thank you.  I couldn’t eat another thing” Jensen said. “Would it be okay if I had a shower? I feel unsanitary from the plane ride”.

“Sure honey.  Just don’t feel like you’re a guest, make yourself at home.  If there’s anything that you need, just let me know, otherwise, feel free” Sherri said.

Jared got to his feet. “I’ll show you how the shower works.  It can be a little bit temperamental and there’s a knack to it”.

“Great, thank you” Jensen said as he trudged up the stairs after his young assistant and followed him into the bathroom.

“So, you need to adjust the temperature first, this should about be in the right position, and then turn on the tap and press this lever and it should be just great.  Towels are on the shelf here.  Of course, you’re more than welcome to have a bath if you would prefer” the younger man said.

Jensen was sat on the corner of the bath watching Jared intently.  He just smiled.

Jared turned around to see Jensen smiling at him. “What…”.

Getting to his feet, Jensen walked over to his assistant and put his arms around his neck. “Thank you….”.

“Uh, that’s okay.  I’m sure that you could have worked it out for yourself just fine, I mean it’s not that hard, you’re a clever man and you’re used to working different showers in hotels….” Jared rambled on.

“That’s not what I meant.  I’m not talking about the shower. I’m talking about this, all of this.  I mean bringing me here, letting me into your family” Jensen said as he planted kisses on the other man’s head.

“That’s okay.  I thought that it would take more persuading on your behalf though.  Have you got the urge yet to check your emails or anything like that?” the young assistant asked his boss, as he wrapped his arms around the other man.

Jensen looked pensieve. “Actually, no, I mean, not yet anyway”.

Jared smiled and relaxed somewhat. “Okay, good.  I’ll leave you to it.  I’ll be outside if you fancy some fresh air afterwards.  Oh, and by the way, you totally rock that hoodie”.

The pregnant man looked down at himself in the over sized hoodie and laughed. “Really?”.

“Totally” Jared said as he walked out of the room.

The older man just laughed as he shut the door and began stripping off to get in the shower.

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Jensen had showered and dressed, and then made his way downstairs to the kitchen where Sherri was slaving over the stove yet again.

Sherri turned around when she saw him approach. “You okay sweetie? Everyone’s out the back somewhere if you want to join them, get some fresh air, the sun‘s out.  Observing only, obviously!”.  

“Yeah, that sounds good” the pregnant man said.  He could smell something cooking, something good. “That smells good….”.

“I’m making you more chutney” Sherri said as she grabbed a spoon and started to mix it around in the saucepan.

“You didn’t have to do that, I’m sure that you’re busy enough” Jensen said.

“Nonsense, it’s no trouble.  Here, try” Sherri said as she passed over the tea spoon to the other man to sample. “Does it need any more spice, any more sugar?”.

Jensen moaned and nodded his head as he licked the tea spoon dry. “No, that’s good, it’s perfect in fact.  Thank you”.

Sherri waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it honey.  It’s only chutney, no sweat”.

“No, I mean thank you for being so nice to me, so accepting of me into your family” Jensen said as he put his hand on his tummy, showing off the curve.

“It’s fine.  You obviously make Jared happy, I mean I’ve never seen my son so happy like this before, so if he’s happy, then I’m happy.  And you’re giving us more grandchildren, and that’s wonderful.  I just wish that we knew you better that’s all.  But we’ll get there, we’ve got time” Sherri said.

“Yeah, we’ve got time” Jensen said happily. This woman was like the mother that he’d always dreamed of having. “So the boys are outside then, are they?” he asked, seeing that the sun had come out and was streaming sunlight in through the window.

“Yeah, I think they are fixing the fence.  That damn thing is always falling down” Sherri sighed as she continued to stir the chutney, gently bringing it to the boil. “This whole place is in fact….”.

Jensen frowned in sorrow.  His grandparents used to say the same thing 20 years ago about their ranch just before they were forced to sell it. “Do you have help from people to come in and maintain it? I know how much hard work it can be”.

Sherri sighed. “We have volunteers in during the summer, and we’ve just had some college students help us out during recent spring break.  But it’s a lot of up-keep, especially when it’s just the two of us.  I mean running a ranch is a full time job and it don’t exactly pay out mega bucks!”.

“Yeah, I know” Jensen said as he looked out the kitchen window remorsefully. He wished that he had been in a position to help out his grandparents 20 years ago, but it was too late now. “Just don’t give it all up, you know? The state will just take it off you if you can’t afford to keep it…”.

“I know.  This place is going to be hopefully passed down to Jeff, Megan and Jared.  But both my boys and daughter are going to be too busy and they’re not going to want this old place, it will just be a burden to them.  But for now, we’re good!” Sherri said, not wanting to put too much of a dampner on things.

Jensen could feel her pain, and it was another reminder of his past. “Well, if there’s anything that you need a hand with, then just let me know”.

“It’s okay, thank you for the offer, but you’re the guest, this is your vacation….” Sherri began.

“No, I know, but seriously, this is a vacation for me and I’d love to help you out here if there’s anything I can do” the pregnant man said.

Sherri smiled. “Okay, well, perhaps you could give me a hand in baking later on?”.

Jensen laughed as he remembered the disaster that he had with cooking for Jared a few weeks back. “Well, I’m hopeless at cooking, so I’d love for you to teach me a little, learn how to cook up something nice for Jared?”.

“You’ve got it” Sherri said as she smiled at the other man.

“I’ll uh, go and get some fresh air” Jensen said as he signalled to the back door and let himself out.  The first thing that hit him was the warmth eminating from the sun.  He hadn’t experienced warmth like this for a long time since he’d moved to San Francisco.  The second thing that he was aware of, was the smell.  The familiar smell of the outdoors, the dust, the soil, the livestock, the smell of Texas, the smell of home.  It was so peaceful and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the main hub of the city.  No highways anywhere near, just a beaten dirt off-road track, and miles from the nearest town.  It was perfect.  He spied Jared’s father fixing part of the fence just a few metres away from him. “Hi” he said as he strolled over, loving how the dirt crunched under his boots.

Gerry looked up. “Hey. What’s it like to be back home then Texas boy?”.

“Good, really good.  You don’t get fresh air like this back in San Fran, let me tell you that!” Jensen admitted.

“So which part of Texas are you from then? Your accent has almost gone, so it’s hard to tell” the older man pointed out.

Jensen scratched behind his ear. “Uh, Dallas, the big city.  But I used to live with my grandparents further down than that, so I suppose you could say that I grew up just a couple of hours from here, not far from Belton in fact”.

“Ah, I got you” Gerry nodded. “You been back there recently?”.

“No….not for a long while” Jensen admitted sadly.

“Well, you’re more than welcome to borrow my pick up truck if you fancied a drive there, or even if you just want to pop into town or something.  Keys are hanging up in the kitchen, feel free.  I wouldn’t recommend the car, always take the pickup truck, because the roads around here are dreadful” the older man laughed.

“Thank you sir” Jensen said as he thought about it seriously.  Going for a drive, or even going back to Belton sounded like a great idea.  It would be painful, but he had some unfinished business there that he wanted, needed to tend to.  Suddenly something in the distance caught his attention, just as he was about to ask where Jared was.  He could see a whirlwind of dust whipping up, coming ever closer to him, and the distinct, unmistakable sound of horse hooves galloping closer.  He could see his young assistant riding the beautiful grey mare so professionally and elegantly until they came to a stop just yards from him.

Jared removed his cowboy hat and bowed down. “Afternoon….” he said, his Texan drawl inadvertently coming out in the word.

Jensen’s heart melted a little more at the sight. “Hey….wow, she’s beautiful” he said enviously, wishing for nothing more than to mount her and ride her like the wind.

Sliding off the horse, Jared tied her up to the fence and jumped over to the other in one fell swoop, so that he was stood just a few inches away from his boss. “Isn’t she just.  Tamed her myself.  No one else could get anywhere near her.  But now she’s just a big softy, aren’t you girl?” he said as he patted the mare on the back of her mane. “Would you like to help me get her back to the stable?”.

“Sure” Jensen said.

Jared put his hat back on his head and opened the gate and untied the mare, handing the reigns over to his boss. “Here.  I’m sure you know what to do…”.

Jensen nodded his head and clicked his tongue until the mare was following him obediently. “Oh, you’re such a good girl aren’t you?” he said as he smoothed her on the back of her mane. “You were amazing riding her, in such control.  I’d love to get back into riding again”.  When Jared cast him a dirty look he smiled. “After the babies are born of course.  It’s been a while, so I’d probably fall off on the first instance”.

Jared laughed. “I’m sure that you would get back into it just fine.  Give yourself more credit than you do.  This one is hers….” he said signalling to one of the empty stables.

Jensen led the mare into the stable like a pro and closed the door, putting on the latch. “You’re so lucky to have all of this”.

“I know.  But my life is in San Fran now though.  Would you ever come back to live in Texas then?” Jared asked his boss as he looked deep in thought.

“Yeah……maybe one day. I’d like to think of my children running around on a ranch, in the Texan sunshine.  I dunno….” Jensen said as he looked towards the pickup truck and thought about Gerry’s offer. “Can I borrow the truck? There’s somewhere that I need to go”.

Jared was slightly taken aback, but he nodded his head nonetheless. “Do you…want me to come with you?” he asked respectfully.

Jensen hesitated but then nodded his head slowly. “Yes please, I’m not sure that I can do this alone.  Just, don’t ask questions, okay? But we’re driving to Belton.  It’s a couple of hours away”.

“I’m definitely going with you then.  Can you wait 10 minutes? I’ll get my mom to make us some sandwiches and drinks for the road” Jared said.

“Sure” the older man said as he went over to the truck and leant on the hood, looking out at the horizon and reminisced until his assistant appeared with a bag full of goodies and the keys to the truck.  He tossed them over to his boss. “All yours, I’ll drive us back seeing as I’m not sure where we’re going”.

“Thank you” Jensen said as he kissed Jared on the lips before he hopped up into the driver seat of the truck with a surprisingly amount of fluidity considering his condition.

Once Jared was nestled into the passenger seat and buckled up, he looked to the other man. “Okay, let’s go then” he said, curious as to where they were going.  He didn’t want to ask or pry just yet, he knew his boss well enough by now to know that he would tell him in due course.

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Jensen drove for 2 hours, just stopping for gas about halfway through.  The majority was spent in silence, Jensen just focused on the road ahead of him, his nervousness and mix of emotions driving him forwards until he started to recognise road signs and roads and houses.  He wasn’t even sure whether he would be able to follow this through and go all the way, but he wasn’t backing out as yet.  He felt better that his young assistant was with him, which helped with his uncertainty and apprehension about doing this.  He drove until they pulled up outside an elderly care home in a small town just before reaching Belton.  He parked the truck and halted the engine, but didn’t move, not even to undo his seatbelt.  
   
Jared looked confused but kept quiet nonetheless.  
   
“My grandmamaw” Jensen eventually said quietly.  
   
“Oh....I assumed that she was dead, I'm sorry” Jared said.  
   
Jensen sighed sadly. “No. She may as well be.  She’s got advanced Alzheimer’s so she doesn’t really remember much. But I'm paying for the best care for her. I don't get to visit her often enough for my liking. I wanted her moved closer to me in San Fran so I could look after her properly, but that would uproot her too much and cause too much stress. Texas is her home, born and bred.  So she’s staying here.  She’d want to be buried next to my grandad, that’s what she’d want.  My father doesn’t bother with her anymore….”.  
   
Jared put his hand on Jensen’s arm tentatively. “I’m sorry, really sorry.  It's okay. I know you're doing the best for her. How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”.

“Five years.  She’s been here for about 10 years or so.  She couldn’t cope with the ranch by herself after my grandad died, so they took it off her and took her into care.  There was nothing I could do, I’ve let her down….” Jensen said remorsefully. “That’s why I don’t want to let anyone else down” he said as he put his hand on his stomach.

“You won’t.  And you haven’t let her down. You’ve spoken about her so many times, it’s obvious that you love her dearly. You’re doing the best for her, and you’re here now. Do you need another minute or are you ready? There’s no hurry what-so-ever, take all the time you need” Jared said. “If we need to find a B&B to stay in tonight, then that’s fine”.  
   
Jensen closed his eyes for a second to compose himself and when he opened them again, he sighed in a calm and controlled manner. “I'm ready” he said as he quickly unbuckled his belt and jumped out of the truck before he changed his mind.

Jared followed his boss as he walked into the home, and approached one of the nurses sitting at the front desk.  
   
“Can I help you sweetie?” the blonde woman asked kindly.  
   
Jared sidled up to his boss just to remind him that he wasn't alone in this.  
   
Clearing his throat, the older man spoke. “I'm here to see Imelda Sofia Ackles. She's my grandmother”.  
   
The nurse looked at him curiously then broke into a burgeoning smile. “Oh my god, are you Jensen?”.  
   
Jensen nodded his head. “Yes I am”.  
   
The nurse looked overwhelmed. “Wow, she talks about you all the time. Pretty much everything else is gone with her, except you. She just carries this same photo around with her all day long.  We know all about you…..”.  
   
Jensen’s heart leapt at that. “Really?”. He felt his emotions suddenly threatening to lose control. Damn hormones. “Can I see her?”.  
   
“Of course. She's down the hall, room 112, the one overlooking the countryside. Best damn view and room in here. She must be real special to you” the nurse said, feeling emotional.  
   
“Yeah. She is.  More than you know” Jensen replied.  
   
The blonde smiled and extended her hand out. “If you need anything, just holler okay?”.  
   
“Thank you” Jensen said solemnly.  
   
The two men walked down the corridor together in silence until they were stood outside the room. The door was slightly ajar.  
   
Jensen faltered. “Do you mind? I……….I think that I need to do this myself”.  
   
Jared smiled and gave Jensen’s hand a squeeze. “Sure. I'll be right outside the door if you need me”.  
   
Nodding, Jensen slowly edged towards the room and opened the door wider. Sat on a rocking chair, clutching a photo in her right hand was the woman that he knew and loved and remembered. Her hair had thinned since he last saw her, but her face was still kindly and warm. Her expression was heart breakingly vacant. Jensen pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. “Grandmamaw? It's me, Jenny”.  
   
A glint of recognition flashed in the old woman’s eyes but she remained emotionless and blank.

“Jensen? You remember me, right?” Jensen begged, tears in his eyes.

The older woman blinked and looked out the window. “I’ve got a grandson called Jensen” she said. “Want to see? He’s so beautiful, look?” she said as she held up the photograph she was holding and passed it to Jensen.

Jensen swallowed back a flood of tears, but took the photo.  It was one of him and both his grandparents.  He was about 8 years old and he was wearing his grandad’s cowboy hat and sat on the back of a horse, supported by both of his grandparents.  He remembered one of the stable boys taking the photo. “That’s me, that little boy is me grandmamaw, it’s me, Jensen…”.

Imelda looked confused and then taking back her photograph, she looked away from her grandson. “Noooo…..”.

Exhaling slowly and wiping his eyes on his sleeves, Jensen fought back more tears.  It was heartbreaking.  This wasn’t the woman and wonderful grandma that he remembered.  He didn’t want to remember her like this, which is why he had been reluctant to come and see her.  He wanted the happy memories to remain, not these new ones, this wasn’t how he wanted to remember her.  He was about to get up off the chair, when Jared strolled into the room.  
Jared walked around the room, looking at all the photographs.  They were all of Jensen and his grandparent’s, or so he assumed.  He picked up a selection and went to sit down on the edge of the bed, keeping his distance from the old woman, not wanting to frighten her or to make her more confused or agitated. “Imelda? Can you tell me who’s in these photograph’s please? They are wonderful”.

Jensen watched as his grandmother was transfixed on Jared.  After a few moments of Jared being patient, she took one of them from him and smiled. “That’s Jensen, me, and my husband Ross”.

“Ross?” Jared clarified.  It sounded familiar to him.

“My grandfather.  And my middle name too…..” Jensen explained.

Jared turned his attention back to the old woman and then the other photographs, this one with Jensen slightly older again. “And who’s this?” he asked, pointing to Jensen.

“Jensen” Imelda said happily.

Picking up the next photograph in order according to how old Jensen looked, Jared passed the next one over to her.  Jensen was in graduation robes. “And who’s this?”.

Imelda took the photo and looked confused for a moment before smiling and clutching it to her chest. “Jenny….” she said happily.

“She was so proud of me when I graduated from college and took over the business.  That wasn’t long before she….came here…” Jensen said sadly.

After going through the same with the last few pictures, Jared put them down on the bed and then took the old woman’s hand into his. “Now look, who’s this?” he asked her, getting her to look at Jensen.

Jensen sat there, smiling at his beloved grandmother.

Imelda let go of Jared’s hands and put them on the other man’s face, tracing his features with her spindly fingers and then landed on his eyes, staring at them for ages until she cracked into a smile, finding familiarity about them. “Jenny?” she asked inquisitively.

“Yes!” Jensen said as he almost exploded with excitement and happiness. “It’s me.  Jensen.  I’m here grandmamaw” he said taking her into his arms and hugging her tight, not wanting to let her go. “I’m here.  I have a photograph to show you” he said as he pulled something out of his coat pocket.  It was one of the latest scan pictures he had. “Here…..”.

Taking the photo into her hands, the old woman studied it, taking it all in. “Baby?”.

“Yes, baby.  Babies.  Twins.  My babies.  You’re going to be a great grandmamaw” Jensen explained to her, not sure how much she could understood or how much she was taking in. “And this, is Jared”.

Imelda seemed to understand, because she put her hand on Jensen’s stomach and patted it affectionally. “Babies” she said happily.

Jensen smiled, and tears started to fall freely from his face.  This time they were happy tears.  His grandmother knew about him being gay even though his own parents didn’t.  She had been accepting of him, more than accepting of it and was happy for him as long as he was happy.  He felt like this was her way of accepting it and being happy for him. “Yes, babies” he said as he continued to hold her tight in an embrace.

When the old woman pulled away, she held the scan photo tight, clutching it into her chest. “Babies”.

“You can keep that, you can add that to your collection” Jensen said.

“Thank you, you’re a good boy Jenny, always have been” Imelda said as she patted the older man’s face and kissed him on each cheek.  She yawned and started to close her eyes.

“Come on grandma, shall we put you down for a nap?” Jensen asked, as she helped lay her down on the bed.  He wrapped the bed covers around her and tucked her in like she used to do with him when he was younger.

Imelda’s eyes flicked open and shut. “Will you come and see me again soon?” she asked.

“Of course I will” Jensen said, letting more tears fall down his face.  He stroked his grandmother’s face until her eyes closed and her breathing changed, signalling that she had fallen asleep. “I love you, goodbye….” he said.

Jared gave Jensen another 20 minutes alone with his beloved grandmother until he intervened when he saw how exhausted and worn out the other man looked. “Let’s get you back to the ranch, shall we?”.

Jensen sniffed and nodded his head as he kissed the sleeping woman goodbye. “I know that she’s going to go back to not knowing who I am again when she wakes.  At least it’s better that way, she’s not going to miss me.  I’m glad I told her about the babies even though she may not have truly understood or going to remember.  But I’m glad I did this…..we did this” he said as he slowly got to her feet.

The younger man had already put the pictures back up on the dressing table in the exact same order he found them in- he didn’t want to distress the older woman by disrupting any order in the room. “Come on then” he said taking his boss’s hand.

The two men walked out in silence and Jared got into the driver’s seat, whilst Jensen slid into the passenger side.

When Jared was about to start up the engine to begin their journey back to the ranch, Jensen’s hand reached out to stop him. “No, wait”.

“Do you want to go back in? Did you forget something?” Jared asked worriedly.

Jensen sniffed and exhaled slowly. “No.  I just want to sit here for a few minutes, that all.  Just sit here”.

Jared bowed his head down slowly. “Okay”.

The older man sat quietly for about a minute or so, until he suddenly broke down, bitter streams of salty tears running down his face and pooling on his coat.  He relished in the way they stung his skin.  His emotions just all came out in a rush.  The past week, month, year, lifetime, all running out in a stream.  He then felt a strong pair of arms encompassing him, holding him tight, pulling him closer, letting him know that it was okay to let everything out.  This was all fuelled and spurred on by the reservoir of hormones also waiting to run free too. “I’m so sorry….”.

Jared made gently shushing noises and hugged him even tighter. “It’s okay.  Just let it all out, okay? There’s no need to be ashamed or apologise for a thing…..”.

Jensen’s sobbing abated and he sniffed and wiped away his tears.  He ran his hand through his assistant’s hair and twirled a strand around with his finger.  His finger traced the rough jagged edges of his lips and then he slammed his own lips onto them, kissing his assistant like it was their first time again, hungry and greedily as he fought for oxygen.

The younger man altered his position so he could face his boss and relinquish in their kiss more.  He moaned and made all the right noises as Jensen pressed all of his buttons in the needy kiss.  He then felt the contact break for a brief moment as Jensen then shifted to move onto his lap to straddle him. “Uh, Jensen, not that I’m not enjoying this, but what are you doing?”.

Pulling away, Jensen sighed. “God, you’re right.  We’re in a parking lot in an old folks home.  This isn’t right.  This isn’t the time or place for this”.

“Are you sure you want to be doing this now anyway? I mean you’re upset.  I’d be taking advantage of you” Jared said practically.

Jensen moved back into the passenger and put his seatbelt. “No you wouldn’t.  Quite the opposite, you’d be doing be a favour, a massive favour.  I want to make love to you, I want you to make love to me.  Don’t you?” he asked insecurely.

Jared nodded as he grabbed his boss’s hand. “You know that I do, very much so.  I just think that we should wait that’s all.  Wait until you’re less upset”.

“What, until I’m the size of a beached whale and too fat to move?” Jensen huffed as he folded his arms over his chest.

“No, I mean soon.  When we get back to San Fran.  Your bed is pretty amazing if I remember correctly?”.

“Okay, you’re right.  You’re always right.  You’re such a good man Jared.  I still have to pinch myself every morning when I wake up to realise that I’m with you” the pregnant man said.

“Me too” Jared whispered. “Are you ready to head back off now?”.

Jensen smiled. “Yeah.  But I’m kinda hungry, can we stop off for food on the way back please?”.

Jared leant over to reach to the bag on the back seat. “I thought we had some sandwiches left?”.

“Cheese” Jensen said as he blushed. “And chutney…..I ate them all, sorry!”.

“That’s okay, we’ll stop for food, any preferences?” Jared asked as he started up the engine and started to back out of the parking lot.

“I know this great Mexican Restaurant on Central Avenue.  I could go for some Burritos right now.  It’s about 10 minutes from here, turn right at the end of the road and carry on going and if I remember correctly then it’s on the left hand side, next to Walgreens” Jensen said as he tried to recall the exact location.

Jared was impressed.  “Wow, okay, let’s go then….boss!”.

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	21. Chapter 21

The next few days were spent pretty much like the first.  Jared and his father tended to the running repairs on the ranch, and Sherri cleaned, tidied and cooked and took care of the inside of the ranch and set up some of the other guest rooms ready for when they’d need them as part of the B&B that was used mainly in the Summertime to earn some extra cash.

“So me and Gerry want to help out with the babies, help start a trust fund, put some money aside for them” Sherri said.

Jensen looked up from his mug of cocoa nervously. “That’s okay, there’s no need, honestly.  You need every dime you’ve got for this place.  I know running a ranch doesn’t come cheap”.

Sherri shook her head insistently. “We’ve done the same with the other grandchildren, so it’s only fair”.

Jared smiled. Once his mother had an idea in her head, there was no going back. “Thank you mom, dad, that’s very kind of you” he said looking at Jensen, hoping that he would get the hint too.

“It’s too much, honestly. I’ve got plenty of money…..I mean, put aside…in savings, more than enough….” Jensen said, sketchy with the truth.  They had yet to tell Jared’s parents the truth about who he was exactly.

“You work with Jared, right? In advertising.  It’s not exactly a high flying job if you’re at junior level” Gerry said sceptically.

“Inheritance” the executive said as he cleared his throat and looked down into his mug of cocoa, watching the steam rising from it to distract from the awkwardness of the conversation.

“From your parents?” Sherri asked innocently.

Jensen looked back up. “Something like that…..” he admitted.

Jared tucked his hair behind his ears. “Mom, just leave it” he mouthed. “That sounds great, but just a few dollars a month or something, okay?” he said, trying to reach a compromise.

“Thank you” the pregnant man said as he reached for a biscuit.

Sherri looked happy again. “Well it’s the least we can do for our grandbabies.  Oh, speaking of which, Jeff, Megan, and the grandchildren will be over later on.  Oh you should see Janey and Joseph now, they’re all grown up”.

“What, even more grown up than Jeff?” Jared said jokingly as he smirked.

“Behave Jared Tristan. You are not too old to be smacked you know? You and your brother will play nice now won’t you?” Sherri warned.

Jared made a salute gesture. “Yes mom.  So how old are the little rugrats then?”.

“Joseph is 5, and Janey is 3” Sherri said.

“And I don’t know how Daniel puts up with Meg” Jared snorted.  When he received a glare from his mother he turned serious again. “I’m done, all done.  Out of my system now”.

“You don’t see your brother and sister often enough as it is” Sherri said.

“I know mom.  I saw them all at Christmas.  I’ll be glad to see them again.  Do they know about Jensen?” Jared asked.

Jensen raised his head up at the mention of his name.  Another awkward gathering to meet the rest of Jared’s family.  Just what he needed.

Sherri smiled. “Yes.  So you can relax Jensen.  All the initial awkwardness will be out of the way.  They know about the two of you and about the babies”.

“Thank you” Jensen said sincerely.  “This hot chocolate is great.  Just what I needed.  Or just what the babies needed.  Either way, it’s good, thank you”.

“Right, well I’m going to get cracking on dinner then.  Got a lot of mouths to feed tonight” Sherri said as she got to her feet.

Gerry and Jared got to their feet almost at the same time.  “We’ll just get the rest of that fence finished honey then we’ll be shower and be ready for when they arrive”.

“Okay, good, as long as you’re out of my way then I don’t mind” Sherri said as she opened the fridge and pulled out a bunch of vegetables.

Jensen stood up to take his empty mug to the sink. “Can I help you out? Like I said, I’m not much of a cook, but I can peel vegetables and chop them up?”.

“Okay.  I need them extra fine hon.  I’m putting them all in the lasagne.  That’s the only way the kids will eat them, if I disguise them in the sauce. And then, if you like, I’ll show you how I make the sauce from scratch?” Sherri said as she hunted around for the ingredients.

“Cool.  Thank you” Jensen said as he picked up the first carrot and began to peel it.

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The kitchen table was full to the brim.  Megan and her husband Daniel, along with their children; Joseph and Janey, and Jared’s brother Jeff, Jensen, Jared and Sherri and Gerry were all sat around it stuffing their faces with the feast of Lasagne and homemade garlic bread.

“Mom, you never fail” Jeff said as he savoured the taste of the food.

Sherri smiled. “Thank you honey.  But I can’t take all of the credit for it.  Jensen helped too.  He painstakingly peeled all of the vegetables and chopped them up himself to make the sauce”.

Joseph perked up. “Nana, vegetables?”.

Jensen laughed. “Not in your bit” he said, winking slyly at Sherri.

Megan turned her attention to Jensen. “So, how are you feeling then?”.

“So far, not too bad.  But I’m kind of new to this whole pregnancy thing.  Plus, I mean it’s a bit of a shock to be carrying twins too” Jensen said as he took a pause from eating to put a hand on his stomach tentatively.

“Well, I’ve done it twice, so if you have any questions, or want to ask me anything, then I’ll be more than happy to help you out” Megan said happily.

Jared leant over the table and kissed his sister. “Thank you Meg, that’s so sweet”.

“Thank you” Jensen said as he smiled.  Coming from Jared’s sister, this  was like they had already accepted him.  Everyone seemed to have had.

“I’ve got say, I’m well impressed baby brother” Jeff said as he looked towards his younger sibling. “I didn’t think you had the balls to knock anyone up and then you give a double whammy, I’m well chuffed!”.

Sherri shook her head in disapproval. “Jeff, don’t be so crude, not in front of the children!”.

Little Janey had finished what was on her plate and looked up at Sherri. “Yummy Nana!” she said.

“That’s okay my darling.  Are you finished too Joseph?” Sherri asked her grandson.

“Yes Nana” Joseph said. “Can we go and play now?” he asked as he clambered off his chair.

“Yes.  And I’ll bring you out some ice-cream for pudding in a little while!” Sherri shouted out after her grandchildren as they ran off into the lounge.

“No jumping on the couch” Megan hollered after her children.

Daniel took a sip from his glass of wine and looked towards Jensen. “So, Jared tells me that you’ve got this sweet little ride then?”.

Jensen blushed with embarrassment. “Uh, yeah.  It’s nothing spectacular.  Just a standard Porsche”.

“Wow.  I’m more of a classic car kind of guy.  Got a couple of old Chevrolet’s lying around that I’m trying to do up in my spare time.  Much to Meg’s disapproval” Daniel said looking towards his wife, giving her a cheeky grin.

“Really? That’s amazing.  What year?” the executive said as he took great interest in the subject.

“One of them is an Impala ‘67.  That’s my favourite.  Once she’s done, she’s going to be sweet as a nut!” Daniel said.  He saw the excitement on the other man’s face and elaborated. “I’m in the car business.  Buying and trading car parts, that sort of thing.  It pays pretty well and pays the mortgage anyway, plus I think that it’s an awesome job.  So win, win”.

Sherri got to her feet and began clearing the table. “Okay, let’s get rid of some of these dirty dishes then so we can move onto pudding”.

“I’ll give you a hand honey” Gerry said as he got up to assist his wife.

“Me too mom” Megan said instinctively as she picked up some dirty plates and helped her parents out.

Jeff, Daniel, Jared and Jensen were all sat around the table.

“So, are you ready to be part of this family then?” Daniel asked, as he laughed.

“Crazy and all!” Jeff joked.

Jensen smiled. “Yeah.  I like it.  Everyone has been totally great with me and really welcoming.  I mean, if this is the worst it’s going to get, then bring it on”.

Jared put his hand on his boss’ hand. “This is it.  All of my family, laid bare” he said planting a kiss on the other man’s head.

“Of course, I think that I had more of a hard time” Daniel said.  “I mean, I was dating Megan, the only girl in the family.  I had her two brothers to contend with and grill me.  And that was before Sherri and Gerry started on me” he said as he smiled at his wife.

“I guess that I’ve got the advantage, already being pregnant, so you guys can’t hurt me…too much” the pregnant man said jokingly.

“Ah, we’ll grill you afterwards!” Jeff said jokingly.

“I’ll hold you to that” Jensen said amusedly.

Megan peered over to her husband. “Hey, sweetie, it’s gone really quiet in the lounge, can you go and check on the kids please? Make sure they’re not wrecking the place?”.

Jensen got to his feet. “I’m heading that way anyway, so I’ll go and check on them if you like?”.

Jared smiled at his sister and discretely nodded his head.

“Okay, just give me a shout if they start ganging up on you, or if they’re causing too much mischief” Megan said. 

“No worries….” the executive said as he made his way into the lounge, nervously.  His fears about knowing nothing about dealing with children came to the forefront of his mind.  They were children, how could he be scared of them? When he entered the lounge, the kids were sat on the couch, Janey cuddled up to her brother whilst he had the book open on his lap, turning the pages and pointing out pictures. It was then he realised that he had nothing to worry about. “Hey….”.

The little girl looked up and blinked at the man who had  just entered the room. “Are you Uncle Jensen?” she asked.

Jensen smiled and nodded his head slowly. “I….I guess so….”.

 

Joseph put the book down and pushed himself up to kneel on the couch. “Are you going to have Uncle Jared’s babies?” he asked with fascination.

“Yes” the pregnant man said as he put his hand on his stomach.

“Are they in your tummy?” Janey asked, as her eyes lit up.

Jensen nodded his head again.  He pointed to the couch. “Can I sit down?”.

“Yes Uncle Jensen” the little girl said as she moved over. “You can sit in the middle, because we are reading a book.  Do you like books?”.

“I love books” Jensen said.

Joseph looked sad. “But I can’t read properly.  I know the pictures.  Can you read it for us?”.

 

“Sure” Jensen said as he reached out for the book. “Spot the Animals?” he said, reading out the title of the book. Before he knew it, the two children were cuddled up to either side of him.  Instead of freaking out, he relished in how right it felt, how complete he felt.  “So which animal in here is your favourite then?”.

“Dog-Cat!” the kids shouted out at exactly the same time.

Laughing, Jensen smiled. “Well I have a cat at home.  She’s called Lucy” he explained.

Janey’s eyes lit up like saucers. “Wow….”.

Joseph seemed to be more fascinated by Jensen’s stomach, as he gently prodded it. “So how did the babies did get in there?”.

The pregnant man blushed.

“Mommy said that it’s when two people love each other” Janey said as she giggled.

Jared was stood by the door watching Jensen with his niece and nephew.  He had been watching them for a couple of minutes in fact. “I think that’s a question for Uncle Jeff.  Why don’t you go and ask him?” he smirked. “And Nana’s got ice cream ready for you”.

The children leapt up off the couch and ran back into the kitchen.

“Wow, you were really good with them.  A natural in fact.  They like you” Jared said.

Jensen looked a tad unsure. “Really? I mean I had no idea what I was doing….”.

“Ah, sure you did.  That’s the longest I’ve seen them both sit still for a long while.  It’s a miracle” Jared said as he sat down next to his boss. “So, anyway….this is my family, in all it’s glory!”.

“Well, I mean, it’s not so bad.  And this is what a family home should be like, you know? And I’m honoured to be a part of your family” Jensen said sincerely.

Jared’s smile increased tenfold. “No worries.  I’m glad that you can share them with me.  They can get a little crazy, you know.  They’ve all been on their best behaviour so far”.

 

“Crazy is good.  A lot better than psychopathic like my screwed up family” Jensen said, trying to make light of his situation.

“Do you think that you’ll ever tell your parents about the babies? About me?” Jared asked, as his tone turned serious.

Jensen sighed remorsefully. “No, like I said before, they’d take away everything you  know? That’s why I’ve decided to put contingency plans into place so that if they try and screw me over and the company that I’ve made my own, then everything will be protected and all in my name.  Seeing as they’ve had no financial input into the business in over ten years, then that goes against them.  The law has many loopholes, but I think I’ve found a way around it all”.

Jared put a hand on his boss’ to show him that he wouldn’t be alone. He just still couldn’t get his head around how someone’s parents could be so devoid of any emotions and so uncaring of their own flesh and blood.  He felt a pang of guilt again about how well his upbringing had been.  They had never been rich, but their wealth of love and devotion made up for the lack of money. “Well you’ve got a new family now.  So to hell with them, right?”.

 

“Yeah” Jensen said.  He went to lean his head on Jared’s shoulder, when everybody else started to slowly filter into the lounge.

“So much for peace and quiet” Jared said as he sat back up and moved to one side so that Jeff and the kids could join them on the couch.  “Crazy….”.

“Perfect” Jensen said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

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Janey and Joseph had been summoned upstairs to get changed into their pyjamas so that the the adults could have grown up time and get more acquainted with each other.  They had come downstairs to say goodnight to everyone.

“Okay, come on then, story time and then bed you two” Megan said sternly to her children.  “Who do you want to read you a story?”.

Janey twisted her pyjama top around in her hands. “Uncle Jensen”.

Everyone looked shocked and Jared turned to his boss who was half asleep in the chair in the corner. “I think that Uncle Jensen is very tired now and needs to go to bed.  How about nana? Or grandpa?”.

The little girl looked disappointed.

Jensen sat up and opened his eyes fully on seeing the three year old so put out and upset. “No, it’s okay.  I’ll read you a story, if that’s what you really want”.

Joseph joined in on his sister’s obvious jubilation. “Yay!”.

Jared whispered to the older man. “It’s okay, if you don’t want to…”.

“I do.  I really do” Jensen said quietly back as he got up from the couch. “I don’t think we quite finished the animal book now did we? I’d love to know how it ends”.

Megan kissed her children goodnight. “Behave now for Jensen, okay? As soon as the book is finished, lights out and go to sleep, okay?”.

“Yes mommy!” Joseph sing songed.

“I’ll be up in 15 minutes to come and rescue you, okay?” Megan said to Jensen.

Jensen laughed. “No worries.  Come on then, I’m giving you two a head start to get tucked up in bed before I can reach you!”.

The excited children both raced up the stairs, with Jensen hot on their heels.

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Jared was sat in the lounge with his parents, brother, sister and brother-in-law. “Thank you all so much for being so nice to Jensen.  It means a lot to me, to both of us.  Jensen’s had a hard time of late and this break is just what he needs”.

“Oh, nonsense honey!” Sherri said. “It was no effort at all.  I mean Jensen is great, he’s really easy to get along with.  And it’s obvious that you both dote on each other so….”.

“Plus, Janey and Joseph seem to like him!” Megan said.

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, I mean usually bedtime stories are reserved for me, or when we’re over here, nana! I guess we’ve been demoted hey Sherri?”.

Sherri laughed. “Talking of which, I don’t hear any jumping on the bed, or any laughing, or protesting!”.

Megan looked at her watch.  It had been nearly 20 minutes since Jensen had disappeared upstairs with her children to read them a story. “I should probably go and check on them.  It’s way too quiet up there!”.

Jared leapt up from the couch. “I’ll go, it’s fine.  I’ll coax Jensen in going to bed himself.  He’s exhausted.  It’s been an emotional few days for him.  I’ll probably head to bed myself too, so I’ll say goodnight”. After bidding goodnight to his family, Jared slowly and carefully crept up the stairs, being extra cautious on certain steps where he knew they creaked more than the others.  He wandered into the spare room at the very back of the house, and tiptoed in, to find his niece and nephew snuggled up into the single bed together, and Jensen dozing in the chair next to them. “Jen…” he whispered.

Jensen opened his eyes groggily and rubbed them, startled that he had fallen asleep.  The book was still open on his lap, they had only got about half way through between the children had fallen asleep.  He must have been seconds behind them.  Adjusting the covers on the bed, he closed the book and put it down on the dressing table before quietly walking out the room, with Jared following him.  He was about to close the door fully, before his assistant stopped him.

“They like the door a little bit ajar.  They can’t sleep properly otherwise. We need to leave the light on in the hall too” Jared whispered, following the way to the spare room they were sleeping in. “We can do this….”.

The older man sat down on the edge of the bed and started to undress. He paused and nodded his head. “Yeah.  We can definitely do this.  I can do this.  I’m ready to be a father.  I think that we’re going to be amazing.  I don’t know why I was so scared that I was going to screw things up.  Your family have showed me that there’s hope”.

Jared sighed happily. “I knew that you could.  I mean, sure, it’s not going to be easy, but we’ll do it together.  Now get some sleep, okay?”.

Jensen yawned and laid down on the bed, feeling his eyes close almost as his head hit the pillow.

The younger man did the same, but watched Jensen sleep for a while before he closed his own eyes and succumbed to sleep.

 

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	22. Chapter 22

Jensen was stood outside, feeling the sun reign down on him.  He was leant against the fence watching Jared teaching Joseph how to ride one of the smaller ponies when he felt something tug at his pants.  He looked down to find Janey clutching a soft toy horse in her arms. “Hey sweetie” he said, kneeling down to her height.

“Mommy and daddy say I too little to ride pony” the little girl said, sniffing.

“Aw, well you’ll be able to ride soon” Jensen reassured her.

Janey’s eyes lit up. “Really?”.

“Yeah” Jensen said. “Here” he said as he held out his arms and picked up the little girl and put her to sit on the fence so she could get a better view. “What’s she called?” he asked, looking to the stuffed toy.

“He…it’s a boy” Janey said indignantly as if the brown soft toy gave it away.

“Sorry” Jensen said apologetically. “What’s his name?”.

“Sid” the little girl said excitedly. “I’m going to have a horsey like him one day”.  She gazed over at her brother and uncle on the horse and looked confused.

Jensen could sense that the little girl was uncomfortable. “Uncle Jared is making sure that Joseph’s feet are in the stirrups and his helmet is on properly before they can get going.  When you first start off, you just need to go a steady trot before you can gallop.  You’ll get your turn sweetie, I promise”.  He kept hold of the little girl and looked behind him towards the house.  She must have walked all the way across the yard by herself. “Does mommy and daddy know that you’re out here?”.

Janey bowed her head down and buried it in the cuddly toy. She shook her head.

“Okay.  Let’s get you back to the house then munchkin before they start to worry” Jensen said as he picked her up and put her down on the ground again and started to lead the way.

Janey remained rooted to the spot and held her hand out, her other hand clutched onto Sid and in her mouth.

Jensen realised she was holding out her hand to be held. He smiled and took hold of her hand, and relished in how small, delicate and soft they were.  They were precious. “Come on then sweetie”.

The three year old followed diligently until they reached the house.

Megan was sat down at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee in her hands.  She looked confused when Jensen walked in with her daughter. “Janey? I thought you were in the lounge playing with Sid?”.

“I found her in the yard watching the horses” Jensen said as he let go of the three year old’s hand.

Janey hid behind Jensen shyly. “Am I in trouble?”.

“No sweetie” Megan said as she held out her arms. “Just let me know where you are in future, okay?” she told her daughter as she peered out from behind the pregnant man and ran to her. “Thank you”.

Jensen found himself exhausted and he sat down next to Megan at the table. “No worries”.

“Janey, go and play in the lounge with Nana, okay? And don’t wander off again honey” Megan told her little girl, kissing her on the cheek and then the lips.

The pregnant man smiled at the interaction.  He hoped that he would be as good with his babies as she was. “She dotes on you….”.

“I think she does you too!” Megan said. “You seem to be handling them great and getting along just fine.  A natural”.

Jensen blushed. “I don’t know about that.  I have no idea what I’m doing”.

Megan sighed and looked at Jensen. “No one does honey.  Not at first.  Hell, not even now, you know?  When it comes to parenting, there is no right and wrong of doing things.  But you’ll never think you know what you’re doing, but when they arrive, it’s the most natural thing in the world and everything clicks together and falls into place.  It’s amazing.  I mean, like I said, no-one entirely knows what they are doing, but if I can help in anyway, if you’ve got any questions, I’ll be happy to help you out.  Oh and that goes for tips on house training my little brother too!” she laughed.

“Thank you Megan.  That means a lot to me.  It really does” the pregnant man said as he put his hands on his stomach.

At that moment, the back door swung open and an excited Joseph came running in through the door as he took off his helmet. “Mommy, I rode a horse with Uncle Jared!”.

“That’s great sweetheart.  Go and wash your hands before Nana makes food for us” Megan said.

Joseph nodded his head. “Okay mommy” he said running off.

Jared slumped down at the kitchen table in between his sister and his boss. “I’m worn out!” he laughed. “What have you two been talking about?”.

Megan shrugged her shoulders. “What? We can’t have a private conversation?  Don’t be so nosey!”.

“Whatever, maybe I don’t want to know” Jared joked as he nudged his sister.

“Thanks bro for taking Joe out for me on the horses. He’s been nagging me for months.  So has Janey, but I think that she’s way too small for that right now” Megan said.

“Hey I was three when I started riding” Jared said. “Okay, so I fell off a few times and banged my head, but hey!”.

“Well that explains a lot” Megan joked.

“Hey!” Jared said as he playfully slapped his sister on her arm.  “Back me up here Jensen?”.

Jensen laughed at the sibling interaction.  “I’m not getting involved here.  Plus I think that you’re big and tough enough to handle your own fights here!”.

Megan got to her feet. “I’m going to check on the kids anyway” she said disappearing into the lounge.

“That’s it runaway, coward!” Jared laughed. He looked over to Jensen who was sat calmly next to him, seemingly deep in thought and looking pensieve.  “What’s on your mind…?”.

“Wondering how our two will get on with each other.  Sibling rivalry and all of that” Jensen said.  “It’s cute.  I never had that, you know, being an only child”.

Jared nodded his head. “I know I’m always arguing with my brother and sister, but it’s all in good fun.  I love them to bits and wouldn’t change them for the world.  I think our two will be fine.  3 weeks time and we’ll get to find out what they are”.

“I just want them both to be healthy that’s all.  But secretly, I’d quite like one of them to be a girl.  I don’t know why…” Jensen said as his hand traced along his belly.  “I’ve already thought of some names if one of them was a girl”.

“Oh yeah? Care to share?” Jared asked curiously.

Jensen shook his head calmly. “No…not yet anyway.  I don’t want to tempt fate.  Obviously if they were two boys then I’ll be just as delighted…..well I guess we’ll see soon anyway”.

“Yeah.  So, have you been thinking about work yet then? Got a hankering to check your emails?” the young assistant asked his boss.

“No” the pregnant executive answered truthfully.  “I haven’t.  Not even once.  Wow, I can’t believe that I’ve said that.  “This week was meant to be about you, me and the babies and it has been”.

Jared bit down on his lip. “Well, I kind of cheated a bit, I’m sorry.  I rang Brad this morning to make sure that everything was going okay”.

“Oh…..and?” Jensen asked curiously.

“Everything is great.  I knew that deep down you would worry about things, so I took the liberty of ringing Brad.  Sounds like things are tip top” Jared said.

“Did you say anything about me?” Jensen asked.

“Nope.  I just said that I was ringing to check if there were any problems that I needed to sort out before Monday, so that I wouldn’t get it in the neck from you” the assistant said.

The executive laughed. “Fair enough.  I’m going to make the announcement when we go back to work next week.  I’ll call a formal meeting and announce my pregnancy then.  The timing is perfect. And even if I did want to keep it a secret for any longer, I don’t think that I possibly could.  I feel like I’ve gained half a stone this week alone.  And not just from your mother’s cooking.  I’m not even halfway through and I feel massive already!”.

Jared looked at his boss’s stomach. You could tell that he was pregnant, but it wasn’t massively noticeable from certain angles and it was only more obvious because he wasn’t trying to hide it. “You’re fine, you look great, so don’t fret there, okay?”.

“I know you’re only saying that to make me feel better, but thank you very much anyway”.  Jensen sighed sadly. “I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow.  This week has gone way too fast for my liking.  If anyone had told me a few months ago that I’d be doing the whole family vacation week and meeting the parents then I would never have believed them!”.

“Ha, me neither. Anyway, I’m going to make a sandwich, do you fancy anything?” Jared hollered back as he got to his feet.

“Anything with cheese and your mother’s homemade chutney and you’re golden!” the pregnant man said.

“Got it boss!” Jared joked as he ran into the kitchen.

Jensen leant back into the chair and took in the peace and quiet, knowing that it wouldn’t last once he got back to work on Monday.

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Jared and Jensen had finished packing their suitcases ready for their journey back to San Francisco.  The car was due to pick them up in less than half an hour.

Sherri patted Jensen’s stomach with pride and happiness.  “I want updates on these two, okay? I’m entrusting that job to you, because Jared is useless at keeping in touch.  I mean he kept you hidden for too long honey.  I’ve packed the chutneys in Jared’s case, all wrapped up nice and secure”.

Jensen smiled. “Thank you so much.  For everything, especially your hospitality and kindness and acceptance of me into your family. We’ll keep in touch, I promise”.

“Don’t leave it too long before we see the two of you again” Sherri said.

“Well after 20 weeks, it’s not recommended that Jensen flies anymore.  So you’ll have to fly out to us, before the babies are born” Jared suggested.

“We’ve bought a new house together.  I mean, we’re not moved in yet, but we will in the next few weeks” Jensen explained. “It will be an honour to put you and Gerry up.  And of course you’re more than welcome to visit after the babies are born.  They’ll be dying to meet their grandparents!”.

“That would be great, thank you.  Now you rest up and make sure my son takes good care of you, okay.  And you know that we’re on the other end of the phone if he doesn’t! I can still kick his ass from all the way over here!” Sherri joked.  She looked at her son who was smirking. “That’s right Jared!”.

Jared blushed. “Don’t I know it mom!” he said, mockingly miming an ‘under the thumb’ gesture.

Gerry appeared with the rest of their luggage and put it down by the back door. “Is that everything here?”.

“Yeah, that’s all of it.  Thanks dad.  Seriously though if your hip is still playing up like it is, get it seen to, okay? And get some help in, because you can’t keep doing what you’re doing anymore, it’s too much work!” Jared said to his father.

“It’s fine son” Gerry said to his son.

Jensen looked uncomfortable.  This wasn’t going to be easy to do. “Jared? Do you want to do a quick sweep of the house, make sure that we haven’t forgotten anything?”.

Jared was surprised at the sudden request from his boss, but he obliged nonetheless. “Sure”.

Gerry made a move to leave when Jensen spoke. “Wait, I needed to speak to the two of you for a second.  I want to give you something.  Just hear me out before you decline my offer, okay?”.

Sherri looked quizzically at her husband but nodded her head anyway. “What up sweetie?”.

Jensen pulled out an envelope from his coat pocket and put it down on the kitchen table. “My grandparents owned a ranch many years ago.  In the end they got too old to manage it and they couldn’t afford to get any help in.  So they were forced to sell.  I spent most of my childhood there and it broke my heart that I wasn’t able to help them out back then.  It finished my grandfather off.  But I’m in a position to help you out right now.  There’s a blank check in there, sign it for whatever you need.  Send me any bills for any repairs that you can’t afford.  You need to hire in help to keep this place going for as long as possible.  Don’t let this go.  I’d buy you out, but I’m sure that’s not what you want.  You remind me of my grandparents, hard working, independent and determined to keep going.  I know you’re probably very proud people, but please accept this small token graciously so that you can keep this place, whatever it takes. I want my children to be able to run around here, learn how to ride like I did and Jared did”.

Gerry looked just as shocked as his wife. “But….I don’t understand….”.

“That’s so kind honey.  Really it is, but we can’t accept this from you.  I mean you work in advertising, with all due respect, you’re probably not much better off financially than us!” Sherri said without trying to sound rude.

Jensen grinned like a loon. “I haven’t properly introduced myself to you.  I’m Jensen Ackles, CEO and founder of Ackles advertising, a multi million dollar company…”.

Sherri’s face went through a range of different emotions and expressions until she landed on one of horror and shock, mostly on her behalf for being so mean about her son’s boss before. “But you’re…..I mean…..you were….”.

“A mean asshole?” Jensen offered.

“Well….” Sherri said, turning a wonderful shade of puce to match her top.

“Yeah, I know.  But Jared kinda knocked that out of me.  He’s a remarkable young man and you should be extremely proud of him.  And I’m very much in love with him” Jensen said, smiling as he said it out aloud.

Jared chose that moment to walk back into the kitchen, overhearing the last sentence.  He stopped in his tracks, hand clasped over his mouth. “You’re…..what?”.

Jensen spun around on his heels.  He was embarrassed that his assistant had heard that in the way that he did.  He was hoping to have picked his moment a bit better than that. “I love you…” he said quietly.

Biting down on his lip, Jared didn’t even care that he was in the presence of his parents.  He moved over to Jensen and wrapped his arms around him and pressed his lips against his boss’. “I love you too Jensen…..”.

After pulling away from his younger assistant, Jensen looked nervously at Jared’s parents.  “So, does this change anything between us then?”.

Jared looked confused, but his bewilderment was soon resolved.

Sherri shook her head. “No.  I don’t care that you’re my son’s boss.  You two make each other so happy and I’ve grown fond of you, so no, it changes nothing.  If anything I have more respect for you for being so honest about it after what I said earlier”.

Jensen smiled. “You’re forgiven.  But please accept my offer, okay? There’s something else in the envelope that you might want too…” he said suggestively as his eyes gazed over to the brown paper envelope on the table.

When Sherri’s hand reached out for the envelope, she was encouraged on by Jensen’s happy gaze.  Opening it up, she bypassed the blank check and pulled out a scan photo of her grandchildren. “Wow….”.

Gerry put his arm around his wife and stared at the photograph in his wife’s hands. “It never ceases to amaze me how much detail are on these.  They’ve improved so much since we saw Meg’s”.

“Well that’s yours to keep and I’ll send you them as I get more.  And of course you’ll be the first to know when we find out what we’re having” Jensen said.

“Thank you honey” Sherri said as she hugged the pregnant man. She moved onto to her own son and gave him a hug and a kiss. “We’ll leave you too alone, okay? Ring us when you land”.

“Will do mom” Jared said as he watched his parents leave. “What did you give them?” he asked his boss curiously.

Jensen shook his head. “Nevermind that.  I believe I declared my love for you….in front of your parents….I’m blaming these crazy pregnancy hormones making me act like a teenage girl.  That’s not how I wanted to tell you…”.

Jared laughed. “I think it was pretty darn awesome.  And kinda romantic too.  You love me!”.

“Okay, now you’re the one acting like a teenage girl….” Jensen laughed jokingly back. “So, I guess this is now official, right? Like a proper couple?”.

“Yeah, I think so” the younger man said.

The sound of their car pulling up outside distracted them from their conversation.  Jared opened the door and signalled to the driver that they were ready. “Are you ready then? Going back to San Fran? New perspective on everything? As an official couple?”.

Jensen nodded his head affirmatively. “I think so.  I’m ready, let’s go….”.

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Their flight had landed on time and they reached Jensen’s apartment in good time despite the traffic on the freeway from the airport.

The older man gathered up his mail from the floor by the front door and strolled over to the kitchen area.

Jared was stood on the spot, not making an attempt to even remove his coat.

Jensen turned around and saw Jared’s slight discomfort. “Aren’t you staying?”.

“Well….I just thought…..you know, we have work tomorrow morning, I thought that you’d want some time and space to yourself to unwind” the younger man said.

“On the contrary. I don’t want to be alone.  I want you to stay with me.  Besides, you’re exhausted from the plane ride back too and your suitcase is here, so it makes perfect sense” Jensen said practically.

Jared was hoping for this situation.  He was growing accustomed to spending so much time with her boss out of work he almost couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him, even overnight. He promptly removed his coat and hung it up on the hook by the front door. “Do you mind if I make some toast? I’m hungry!” he said.

Jensen smiled, happy that Jared felt at home enough in his apartment. “Sure, the bread is in the middle drawer of the freezer”.

“Do you want some too?” Jared asked as he moved to the kitchen to retrieve the bread.

“Why not. I think I’ll have some cheese and chutney with it” the pregnant man said.

Jared laughed to which his boss looked up questioningly at. “You’ll turn into cheese and chutney soon enough if you’re not careful!”.

“These babies obviously take after our appetites” Jensen paused as he opened up one of items that had come in the mail.  He had been too distracted to recognise the hand writing on the envelope.  It was a postcard with his mother’s scrawl on the back. “My parents are in Sicily.  How wonderful” he said sarcastically as he tossed the colourful postcard to one side. “At least they’ll be too busy to bug me at work to check up on me.  Which reminds me, I need to get onto my lawyer about buying my parents out and claiming every single right to my company.  They’re not going to take this off of me, I’ve worked far too hard for this”.

“Stop with the stressing and freaking out, okay? You’ve done so well and been so chilled out in Texas, now that we’re back here you’re starting to get stressed and frazzled again, so schtum and eat your toast” Jared said as he laid it down onto the kitchen table and pulled out a chair and signalled to the pregnant man to sit down in it.

Jensen exhaled slowly and put his hand over his temples for a second before regaining control of his emotions and took a bite of his toast and chutney. “This chutney really is the best you know!”.

Jared joined his boss at the table and started to tuck into his toast and butter. “I know.  Look, we need to talk about what you’ve done for my parents….”.

“Look I know, giving them the money, well, not exactly that, but offering to help them out financially, I have my reasons, I told you that…..” the older man said as he started to go off on a tangent again.

“I think it was an amazing thing, thank you.  My parents are proud people and they never would have accepted money straight up, so what you did was great.  I just wish that I was able to help them out more” Jared said remorsefully.

“You’re not mad?” Jensen checked with the younger man.

“No, I’m definitely not mad” Jared said grinning as he pushed his chair away from the table and dragged it closer to his boss. “So anyway, I wanted to tell you something.  I’m guessing that this is how you intended to do it with me…..I love you…”.

Jensen dabbed at his mouth with a napkin and swallowed abruptly. Even though they had already declared their love to one another, saying it again, in private just between the two of them made it more real. He smiled and kissed his assistant on the lips. “I love you too.  Thank you for coming into my life Jared and for making me the man I am today.  I want you to make love to me.  No gimmicks, just you and me, in my bed, slowly, passionately…”.

Jared nodded his head. “Okay.  You dictate the pace okay? I don’t want to hurt you”.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you out” Jensen said as he got up from his chair at the kitchen table and took his young assistant’s hand and lead them into his bedroom.  The bed was immaculately made, not a crease or line in the sheets and they smelt fresh and florally.  Loretta had obviously been in and cleaned as there wasn’t a speck of dust to be found or anything out of place.  He sat down on the edge of the bed and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, one bit at a time.  He didn’t want this to be hurried or over too soon.  He needed to feel loved and feel every part of this, every emotion, every touch, every kiss. He was hesitating when he reached the final button.

Jared could sense the other man’s apprehension and felt his self consciousness.  “It’s okay, I think it’s beautiful.  You’re beautiful and you don’t even know it” he said as he slowly slipped the black shirt the rest of the way off.  He slowly removed his own shirt and his t-shirt swiftly followed, carefully throwing them down on the floor into a surprisingly neat pile.  To break the nervous tension, he kissed his boss tenderly on the lips. “If you want to stop at any time, just let me know, okay?”.

Jensen felt so safe and secure in that moment that he could have trusted Jared with his life.  He laid back on the pillows and smiled up at the younger man. “I trust you, it’s okay…”.

The younger man began a trail of exploratory kisses up and down the length of the older man’s body and then concentrated them on the burgeoning bulge, softly caressing it with his hands, careful not apply too much pressure.  He sucked at the belly button that was just starting to pop.  He was amazed that his babies were in there, only separated by a few layers of skin between them.  The skin was so smooth and soft, despite it looking like it was starting to stretch.  It was magical and incredible.  Not one miracle, but two.  He then turned his attention back to Jensen’s face.  His beautiful tanned face, dotted with freckles that you could almost paint by numbers on.  Long, soft, fluffy eyelashes framed his hazel green eyes.  In that moment he couldn’t look any more perfect.

The pregnant man moaned delicately in the silence, cutting the air with the sound of his appreciation.  He lifted up his hips and removed his pants, sliding them down and kicking them off the bed and onto the floor.  His right hand flailed around to where his bedside cabinet was. “Top drawer….”.

Jared knew what the other man meant and opened it up and retrieved a bottle of what looked like an un-opened bottle of lube.  He flipped open the cap and smeared some over his fingers.  His fingers flitted around Jensen’s aching hole and he gently inserted one.

Jensen hissed slightly at the feeling.  When he felt Jared winch and start to pull out he shook his head. “No, it’s good.  Just been a while that’s all.  Carry on.  Another one” he said, bucking up his hips to increase the pressure and force.

The young assistant’s other hand, gently cupped around his boss’s cock, rubbing it to coax it into full hardness.  When the moans from the other man increased exponentially, he carried on and started to increase his speed and grip on the shaft whilst his fingers scissored back and forth inside Jensen. “Am I doing okay?”.

“Mmmmm hmm….” Jensen said, moaning softly and nodded his head, as his eyes rolled around in his head.  This was pure ecstasy and they had barely gotten started yet. “More….”.

Jared adjusted his position and bowed his head down to kiss in inside of boss’ thighs, smiling how it was obviously sensitive and sensual for the other man and he started to writhe around on the bed and the moans kicked up a notch. “You look so beautiful right now, do you know that?”.

“It’s all because of you” Jensen said between staggered staccato pants and breaths.  All of a sudden his arms reached around his assistant’s neck and pulled him closer to him so that they were pressed up against one another, their bodies sticking to each other’s like glue in the heat of the moment.  The older man began an assault of kisses on the younger man’s face, hungrily nibbling and biting down on his lips, their teeth scraping against one another’s, tongues fighting for dominance in a bid to taste and get as much of each as possible, all at once”.

“You taste amazing” Jared breathed back as his erection dug down into his boss’s thigh.

“So do you….” Jensen purred back as he ran his fingers through Jared’s soft bangs, which framed his face.  He pushed back some stray hair and tucked it behind his ears.  His hands then moved down to cup the younger man’s ass, pulling him up towards him even more so there was no room for anything else between them, not even the soft breeze filtering in through the window, making the curtains flutter like butterflies. “I’m ready.  I want to feel you inside of me…”.

Jared smiled and ran his fingers across Jensen’s face, circling the softness and fullness of his luscious lips. “Okay boss” he said as he adjusted his position and slowly slid into the other man.

Jensen bucked his hips up at the sudden fullness and thickness inside of him.  It felt amazing to have that connection and closeness between then again. “Oh God….” he said as he rocked his pelvis in tune to Jared’s careful thrusting.

“I’m not hurting you am I?” Jared asked considerately as he kept his thrusting unhurried and cautious.

“Noooo, quite the opposite….this feels so good, keep doing what you’re doing….” Jensen whimpered in delight.

Jared kept up his thrusting, perfectly in tune with his boss, tracking every single movement and facial expression of the man beneath him.  He felt his balls pull up and tighten exponentially. At the same time he felt Jensen’s body tense up and go almost rigid as he was close to climax too.

“I can’t hold back…” Jensen said, his eyes fluttering open and shut.

“Don’t…” Jared whispered as he clasped his lips around Jensen’s.

They both carried on for a couple more minutes, until they both reached an incredible climax at the same time, coming simultaneously, and collapsing back into the bed into an exhausted heap.  Jared moved a few inches to his left and laid back tiredly, cuddled up right next to his boss. “Wow!”.

“Indeed…” Jensen said as he tried to get his breath back. “I’m so glad that we waited, thank you so much”.

Jared nodded his head in agreement. He went to make his move to sit up when his boss put an arm around him. “I was going to go and get myself cleaned up”.

Jensen shook his head and moaned as he pulled the bed clothes up around them both, encircling them in a cocoon of warmth and protection.  “Later.  Let’s just cuddle for a while, okay?”.

“Okay” Jared said as he snuggled up closer and closed his eyes.

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	23. Chapter 23

Jensen drove into work the next morning- their first morning back after their Texas vacation.  Jared decided to walk as he had some errands to run before heading into the office.  They had to keep up their charade of boss and assistant not to rouse any suspicion, so Jared brought Jensen his morning drink and muffin as per usual.

“Decaff coffee and chocolate muffin as requested” Jared said as he put the polystyrene cup and brown paper bag down on his boss’s desk.  Both men were grinning from ear to ear after consummating their relationship last night. “You happened to mention that the smell of coffee was more than appealing again, so I figured that decaff would be fine.

The older man’s smile widened even more as he sighed contently. “Wow.  I didn’t think that you paid attention to what I was saying last night.  Thank you, it smells divine”.

“There’s a pump of hazlenut in there too for you” Jared said, winking.

Jensen picked up the cup and took his first sip. “Mmmm….amazing. Did I tell you yet that I love you?”.

Jared jut out his bottom lip. “I think that you might have told me once or twice, you know?”.

The door knocked and Jensen shouted out “Come in”.

Brad appeared and strode over to the desk.

Even though he was hidden behind his desk, Jensen suddenly became very aware of the fact that he had seemed to out grown his suit in the past week and that people could probably hazard a guess at his condition. “Hey Brad. How’s it gone?”.

“Yeah, it’s been fine.  These are just some documents that need to be signed by you personally, and these are just bits and bobs that I thought you should look through.  Everything else has been taken care of” Brad said as he put piles of paper down onto the desk. “So how was your vacation then? Go anywhere nice?”.

Jared looked a tad uncomfortable.

“Yeah, it was good.  I just went upstate for a few days, caught up with some old acquaintances” Jensen said.

“And how was Texas then Jayman?” Brad asked the young assistant as he pat him on the back.

Clearing his throat, Jared looked away from his boss to address the oldest man in the room. “Yeah it was awesome.  Molly coddled by my mom, teased by my siblings, so yeah, great!”.

“Okay, awesome, well, I just need to get these sorted out for you, so I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” Brad said as he smiled and left the office.

Jensen exhaled slowly and took a sip from his coffee.  He was impressed at how well the de-caff was satisfying his caffeine cravings. “I gotta face them at some point haven’t I?”.

Jared winced and nodded his head. “Yup!”.

“Great….” the pregnant executive said as he got to his feet and smoothed down his suit jacket and frowned when it had no effect in lessening the size of his stomach. “Unless I stay behind my desk for the next 4 months?” he smirked.

“Uh, no, I’m not sure that will work!” the young assistant laughed. “So, I guess we need to get back to work.  I’m sure your inbox will be brimming with emails.  Shall I take half?”.

The executive nodded his head. “Yeah.  You may as well compose a rejection email and copy it to my entire inbox!”.

Jared laughed. “You are so mean, has anyone ever told you that?”.

Jensen shook his head and rolled his eyes mockingly as he sat back down behind his desk and began to type frantically on his computer.

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Brad, Mike, Tom and Jared and a few of the girls from upstairs were sat around the table in the coffee room during their lunch break when Jensen walked in casually and threw down some papers in the middle of the table.  “The latest figures for you all to read……” he said as he straightened out his jacket again, brushing his hand over his stomach subconsciously before leaving.  

It was the first time the staff had seen their boss in just over a week.

Lois watched her boss walk away and studied his gait with keen interest. “Hhhmmm…there’s something different about him, don’t you think?”.

Mike nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah, you mean like he got fat? I mean, look at the belly on him.  Where did that come from?”.

Jared tried to hide his face behind his sandwich as he stalled on taking a bite from it.

“He definitely looks slightly rounder” Tom agreed. “God….you don’t think that….no, he can’t be, surely?”.

“What?” Lois asked before coming to the realisation herself. “No….he can’t be.  Don’t be so stupid, this is Mr Ackles, he’s not exactly a family man now is he? I mean there’s no way that he’s pregnant.  He’s just let himself go for sure”.  
   
“Besides, who the hell would have the guts to knock him up anyway!” Mike giggled as he snorted into his coffee.

Brad looked pensieve. “I don’t know, he’s been even more grumpy than usual and been more prone to mood swings….and he‘s just had some time off which is unusual for him too..”.

“He’s also softened and mellowed a bit though in recent weeks” Tom said. “Jay? You work the closest to him, what do you think?”.

Jared pretended to be chewing on a bite of his sandwich and stalled his swallowing. “I don’t know.  If he is, then I guess he’ll announce it in his own time.  He’s a very private person”.

Lois folded her arms across her chest. “Oh come on Jared.  You must know more than that! Come on, spill! We need some gossip here!”.

“Look, I don’t know anything, I swear” the young assistant said.

“Well, if he’s not, then he needs to go on a serious diet!  The muffins and pastries are catching up with him!” Mike snorted again. “Middle aged spread….catches up with us all at some point” he said looking down on himself.

Having had enough of the gossip and speculations, Jared made an excuse to leave and headed to Jensen’s office where he was sat behind his desk, tucking into a salad with cheese.

Jensen looked up at his assistant and smiled. “Hey!”.

“You’ve got to tell them all.  Today! They’re all sat there speculating about you.  I can’t stand it.  I can’t stand them talking about you like that” Jared said, his voice getting more agitated.

“It’s fine.  I’m used to it by now.  I’m their mean and horrible boss, it’s kind of mandatory to hate your boss” the executive said calmly. He then smiled even more. “But I think that it’s really sweet that you’re looking out for me like this.  But I’m a big boy you know and I’ve been standing up for myself well before you came along.  So quit worrying.  I’ll tell them this afternoon, okay?”.

Jared sighed with relief and nodded his head. “Okay” he said.  He looked down at his half eaten sandwich with sorrow and then up at his boss. “Can I….eat the rest of my sandwich in here?”.

The older man laughed and signalled to the chair opposite him. “Go ahead.  You’ve just brightened up my lunchtime!  I got sick of looking at the four walls in this office.  You‘re much more interesting…” he smirked.

“Glad to hear it” the younger man said as he carried on with his sandwich.

“Seriously, quit with your pouting and moping around. It’s fine. I’ll hold a meeting this afternoon, make the announcement.  Now give me a smile.  Because the walls are looking more interesting again..” Jensen said.

Jared’s serene face brightened up and he smiled, showing off the dimples in his cheeks. “Okay. Better?”.

Jensen’s smile matched his young assistant’s. “Much”.

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Everyone, including Jared, was sat in the conference room for the arrival of their boss and for the reasoning behind the impromptu meeting.

Jensen finally turned up, strolling in as casually as he could without drawing too much attention to himself.  He felt everyone’s eyes on him and he cleared his throat.  He glanced quickly at Jared for support and to make himself feel more at ease, before continuing. “So, has everyone had a chance to look at the figures? As you can all see, we’ve more than exceeded our quota for this year so far, which is a huge boost and achievement so thank you all” he said feeling a tad uncomfortable at the stares.

Lois and one of the other girls started whispering and giggling to each other like naughty school kids in the back of class.

The executive folded his arms across his chest and waited for them to finish. “Is there anything that you want to share with the rest of us Lois?”.

Shaking her head, Lois looked down at the floor. “No, sir”.

“So…..” the executive continued. “I believe that there are some rumours and gossip flying around about myself, so I’d like to set the record straight.

The tension in the room increased tenfold and the tension was apparent by the way everyone seemed to be holding their breaths.

“Oh yes.  I know everything that goes on in this office.  I don’t miss a trick.  So, for those who were wondering, yes, I’m pregnant.  But my private life is of no concern to anyone else here, so I’m not divulging the identity of the father of my babies” Jensen announced as he put his hands on his tummy for effect, to show off the pronounced outward curve. “Yes, I said babies.  My twins are due at the end of the Summer.  Now that’s over and done with, does anyone have any questions?”.

Several people in the room put their hands up.

Jensen cleared his throat again and frowned. “About the figures, or anything related to it?”.

Everyone put their hands down and slunk back in their chairs.

“Okay, great” Jensen said. “Now I’ve set us some new goals and targets which we need to meet by end of the next quota, okay? So I’m hormonal and pregnant so don’t piss me off!! Now everyone please get back to work.  Except for you Jared.  I need a word with you please”.

Once everyone had filtered out of the room back to their respective duties, Jensen slumped down in his chair and blew out a long breath he wasn’t sure he had been holding. “Wow, I’m glad that’s all over and done with.  No more hiding.  Everyone knows.  I’m glad, because soon it’ll be like trying to hide Mount Everest.  No more trying to do my jacket up over a basketball.  Which reminds me, I’ll need to go and buy some bigger clothes, again……God, this is getting ridiculous now” he said looking down on himself.

Jared smiled. “It means the babies are growing and are healthy, that’s all.  Just a couple of weeks and we get to see them again, eh?”.

Jensen put his hand on his stomach and went deep into concentration mode.  He could have sworn he felt a flutter deep down inside his belly, but he figured it was just his stomach gurgling from the rushed lunch. He blew out a breath. “Yeah.  I just still can’t get over the fact there’s two in here.  I can’t wait to feel them move…”.

“Well the baby books say anytime soon” Jared said, his face lighting up like an excited child at Christmas.

The executive smiled when his cell phone started to ring loudly from inside his jacket pocket. “It’s Mandy, I’ve got to get this” he said as he went off and started to talk animatedly on his phone.  

Jared was leant against one of the chairs casually, trying not to listen in.  When his boss re-appeared a few minutes later with a grin on his face, he quirked an eyebrow. “Mandy?”.

“About the house.  I can sign the contracts and exchange keys within the month, but everything has gone through okay.  Wow, pregnancy announcement and new house all in a day.  I’m pretty beat!” Jensen said as he rubbed his temples.

“How about you go and rest in your office for the rest of the afternoon, I’ll field all your calls and only disturb you if it’s something really urgent” the young assistant said.

Jensen didn’t even need to consider that option. “Yeah, no arguments there.  Thanks.  Let me know when you’re done here and we’ll head back to mine…”.

“Okay, great.  I’ll see you later then.  Oh…..wait…..I kinda promised Chloe that I’d ask you.  I know you’ll say no, and I don’t blame you.  It’s the kind of awkward social events that you like to avoid, but she’s been nagging me for a while now…” Jared said as he tried to find the right words.

“Just spit it out Jared…” Jensen said amusedly.

“She’s inviting you round for dinner.  Tomorrow night actually.  I know it’s short notice and everything, so say no if you’re busy or whatever…..she’s got it into her head about double dating….” the younger man said, muttering and hesitating with his words.

“Sounds great.  Do you want me to bring anything?” the executive asked casually.

Jared blinked in surprise. “What? It’s dinner, with Jimmy and Chloe.  In our apartment. I mean, seriously, what?”.

Jensen shook his head in confusion. “Yeah, I got that.  I said it sounds like a good idea.  I’ll be there.  Let me know what you want me to bring.  I’ll bring some wine, obviously I can’t have any, but the rest of you shouldn’t miss out.  I‘ve got some fabulous 2007 Rose wine that would go with anything”.

Jared was still somewhat in shock. “Are you sure you want to do this?”.

“Absolutely” Jensen said, smirking slightly for amusing effect. “Now untangle your panties and go do some work” he said kissing his assistant on the lips before walking out of the conference room leaving his bemused assistant still leant against the chair.

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Jensen was alone in bed that night, as Jared had to go back to his own apartment.

For some reason, Jensen awoke during the night and his weary eyes blinked open and focused on the digital clock on the bedside table which told him that it was 3.14am.  As he sighed and closed his eyes again, in the silence and darkness his concentration was focused entirely on his own body, willing it to go back to sleep.

Something fluttered in his tummy, deep down, like butterflies and little bubbles.  When it happened a few times in so many minutes he was suddenly awake and alert, his hands pressed firmly into the round flesh of his stomach.  The realisation came to him that one, or both of the babies were moving around.  He closed his eyes and concentrated even harder on the flutterings inside of him. “Hey babies.  Thank you for saying hello to me. Hey.  I’m your daddy and I love you so much” he said as one of his hands reached out to the other side of the bed only to find it empty. “I wish your other daddy was here to say hello to you too….” he whispered sadly into the darkness.

After the movements seemed to diminish, he fell slowly back into a deep sleep and didn’t wake until his alarm went off several hours later.

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Still on a high from feeling the babies move for the first time, Jensen was in a jovial mood when he arrived in the office.  He couldn’t wait to tell Jared about the babies movement. There was a knock on the door and he muttered a ’Come in’.

It was Lois and a couple of the other girls from upstairs.

Jensen was surprised when they sauntered into his office.  He leant back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.  Now that his secret was out, he wasn’t trying to hide his condition.  It was getting mild and he couldn’t face buttoning up his jacket so he left it undone and casual. “Good morning ladies.  What can I do for you?” he asked, trying to keep his amusement hidden and remaining professional.

Lois cleared her throat and tucked a stray strand behind her ear. “We just wanted to say, uh, congratulations sir.  That’s all”.

“That’s very kind, thank you” the executive said as he put his hands on his tummy, subconsciously at first and then more pronounced when he realised what he was doing.

“And, we know you probably don’t need anything, but we bought you a little present.  For the babies” Lois said as she nodded to one of the other girls who left the room momentarily.  
Abbey returned merely seconds later with two reasonably sized teddies, one in each arm. “Here you are sir”.

Jensen’s breath hitched in his chest at the sentiment as he felt a sudden rush of emotions flood to the fore.  He looked at the two teddies and imagined each of them snuggled up to his babies in a crib. “Wow, thank you.  That’s so kind….you can put them down on my desk” he said as he struggled to fight back tears.  There was no way in hell he was going to show emotion, let alone tears in front of his employees.

“Anyway, that’s all” Lois said.

The executive smiled and nodded his head. “Thank you.  I haven’t actually bought anything for them yet.  I don’t even know where to start” he said, before stopping himself short, realising that he was talking so openly and freely to his employees.

“Well, if you need any help with that, I can recommend a few things that came in handy with my two.  Just give me a shout, I’d be more than happy to help” Lois said, feeling sorry for her boss.

“That would be great.  Thank you” Jensen said, as he stroked his fingers through the plush teddy bears, unaware that the women had left his office and his assistant was standing in the doorway.

“Cute” Jared said as he watched his boss tenderly smooth the teddies.

Jensen cleared his throat and looked up. “Yeah.  It’s made me realise that I’ve not started buying anything yet.  I mean, I kind of know what I need, but I just don’t know where to start to be honest”.

Jared smiled and walked over to his boss. “Well, let’s get the house sorted first, and then the furniture will come after that.  There’s plenty of time for that.  We’ll start having a look at some stuff on the weekend if you like, get an idea about what you want.  But it might be better to find out what we’re having first of all, make it a bit easier?”.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan” Jensen said.  He was about to tell Jared about the babies moving for the first time, when he felt the fluttering inside of him again.  His hands flew to his stomach and pressed them down hard and his face broke into a huge grin.

“What!” Jared said as he got to his feet and wrapped an arm around his boss protectively. “Are you okay?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “The babies just moved….”.

“Really? What? Oh my God? Since when? I can’t believe I’ve missed them move for the first time” Jared said, torn between pouting and excitement.

The executive grabbed Jared’s hand and put it on his stomach. “This is the first time” he lied.  He didn’t want to see the disappointment on his assistant’s face at missing an important milestone.

Jared’s excitement was back again, this time in full force. “Really? Wow! I know it’s too soon for me to feel it too…but….what does it feel like?”.

Jensen’s eyes went from his stomach, to the glistening eyes of the younger man. “I thought it was indigestion at first.  But it’s definitely them moving.  Little flutters inside, like butterflies, very delicate.

“Wow” Jared marvelled.

“I know.  I’m sure I’ll be complaining soon enough about them when they’re kicking me at three in the morning and abusing the hell out of my ribs and bladder” the executive said amusedly. “Speaking of which, bathroom, I’ll be back”.

The phone started to ring on Jensen’s desk and Jared broke out of his reverie and went to answer it instinctively. “Ackles Advertising, Mr Ackles’ office, how may I help you? I’m his assistant.  Mr Antonio Bertolli.  Okay, I’ll get him to return your call, thank you” he said as he put the phone back down on the receiver.  Something about the name was resounding in his head.

Jensen re-appeared a couple of minutes later, a smile on his face. “People are congratulating me left, right and centre.  It’s strange.  But really nice”.  He could see the concentration on the younger man’s face. “What’s up?”.

“A Mr Antonio Bertolli called for you just now. He’s uh…” Jared began.

“California’s best laywer.  I believe he ranks in the top 5 in the whole of the USA.  Yes, that’s him” Jensen said proudly as he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.  He had forgone the tie for today. “I’m getting the ball rolling with the lawsuit against my parents.  They could get wind of my pregnancy any day now so I’m not taking any chances.  Plus they’ve read about my recent financial gains and they want me to increase their share of their profits.  So no time like the present”.

Jared looked at his boss worriedly. “Well, as long as you know what you’re doing here, and the risks involved and that you don’t let it stress you out too much”.

“That’s why I’ve hired the best man for the job.  He’s not going to fail me, not the amount I’m paying out for him that’s for sure” Jensen said confidently. “Ooh, I’ve ordered a selection of desserts from Mary-Ann’s Patisserie from down the road for later on.  I wasn’t sure what everyone liked so I got a few different types”.

“Mary-Anns? You mean the place that supposedly does the best chocolate frosting in the whole of San Fran?” the younger man asked.

“Yep.  If you think that that’s amazing, then wait until you try the vanilla and strawberry cheesecake.  It’s divine.  You couldn’t go and pick them up for me before we leave could you? Do you know where to find it?” Jensen asked as he sat down at his desk and started tapping at the keys on his laptop computer.

Jared snorted. “Do I hell? I walk past that place practically everyday and drool over the desserts in the window.  I’ve never gone in though.  It’s like 20 dollars a slice! Yeah I’ll pick them up”.

“Okay cool.  I’ll be out of the office this afternoon, so I’ll meet you in your apartment at 7pm? I’ve got a new contract to sign.  Some eco-friendly environment campaign that they need our help on.  I’ve got to go to an induction meeting to their company and for the brief” Jensen said as he opened up his email.  “Ah, here we are, 3pm, 135 Union Street.  A Mr Peter Greenfield.  Greenfield? That’s got to be a joke, right?”.

“Well, perhaps he changed his name by deedpoll to fit with his company’s agenda” the younger man said.

Jensen got up from his desk and grabbed a plastic cup and filled it up from the water cooler and drank it down in one go and filled up a second cup and drank that one too in quick succession.

“Thirsty?” Jared asked the obvious question.

“It appears so.  Means that I now have to pee again.  I thought I had a break from this until the third trimester.  Apparently not.  I’ll be back.  Why don’t you start going through the agenda for the next week, so I can get you up to date for everything” Jensen said as he left the office again and headed towards the bathroom.  A twinge in his back caught him off guard as the pain radiated towards his middle.  Inhaling sharply, he carried on when the pain subsided as quickly as it made an appearance.

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Jared let himself into his apartment to be greeted by the delicious smell of his best friends cooking. “Hey Chloe” he shouted out as he put the desserts down on the lounge table.

The petite blonde appeared from around the corner of the kitchen.  She ran up to her best friend and gave him a hug and a kiss.  “Hey! You’re early!” she observed.  She noted the Mary-Anns Patisserie bags on the table.

“Jensen’s contribution” Jared said before she could get a word out.  They had always joked that if they were rich enough, they’d work their way through the menu, one at a time.

“Talking of which, where is he?” Chloe asked as she looked around as if her were hiding behind the couch or something.

“He’s in a meeting, he won’t be long, he’s just text me to say that he’s just finishing up with them and he’ll be here in 10 minutes.  Where’s Jimmy?” Jared asked.

The blonde wiped her hands on her apron and flicked her hair behind her ears.  “I’ve sent him out on an emergency tomato run.  He should be back any second in fact…” she said just as the front door swung open and Jimmy appeared carrying a 7-11 bag in his left hand. “Speak of the devil and he appears”.

“Aw love you too honey.  Here, is this going to be enough tomatoes?” the photographer said as he handed over the bag.

Chloe peered into the bag and smiled. “Perfect.  Now excuse me gentleman, I need to work my magic on these in the kitchen.  Grab some beers, talk guy talk or whatever, but don’t disturb me, no men allowed in the kitchen!”.

Jimmy threw his hands up in the air. “Fine hon” he shouted to his fiance.  He then turned his attention to Jared. “Beer?”.

“Yeah, great, thank you” Jared said.  “Wait, Chlo!” he shouted out.  “How are we meant to get our beers from the fridge if we’re not allowed in the kitchen.

Suddenly a hand appeared in the doorway a few seconds later, holding two beers. “Here!” the blonde shouted.

Jared slumped back on the couch. “How’s the house hunting going then bud?” he asked as he opened the bottle of beer, flicking the lid off with the bottle opening and took a satisfying swig from it.

“Not too bad.  We’ve seen a few places that we like.  We’re just trying to save for a deposit right now.  We might have to rent somewhere first for a few months whilst the market picks up again” Jimmy said practically. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if we can’t find anything within the next month because we can always stay here.  The rent’s cheap so….”.

“Mmm. Yeah, well you’ve got enough to sort out, with the wedding and stuff, so don’t stress too much about it.  That’s only a couple of months away.  I can’t believe how fast it’s creeping up on us” Jared said in disbelief.  Once the wedding was over and done with, then that would mean that Jensen’s due date would be almost imminent.  It was a scary thought.  But right now, excitement was superceding the scariness.

There was an urgent insistent knock on the door and Jared leapt up from the couch to answer it.

As soon as the door flew open, Jensen rushed in. “I’ve been stuck in traffic.  Bathroom” he said breathlessly as he ran off around the corner, slamming the bathroom door behind him.

Chloe came out of the kitchen ready to greet her final guest. “Jensen?”.

Jared nodded his head. “Yeah.  He’s er, in the bathroom” he said, pointing to the closed door down the hall.

Jensen sighed as he strolled into the lounge. “Sorry, couldn’t wait”.  He wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

“You okay? You look a little flushed” Jared observed as he looked at his boss’ pink face tinged with sweat.

“Yeah, fine.  Just been rushing around that’s all” Jensen said as he removed his coat and hung it up by the front door.

“Jensen, welcome.  I hope you’re hungry” Chloe said as she greeted the executive warmly.

Laughing, the pregnant man nodded his head. “I’m pregnant, of course I’m hungry” he laughed. “I brought you some wine” he said putting it down by the desserts on the table.

Chloe smiled. “Thank you.  And thank you for the desserts too.  We’ll make sure that we leave room for them.  I’m glad that you’ve agreed to come for dinner.  Get acquainted with you properly.  I know that we’ve not really seen eye to eye from day one.  So let’s start again, shall we?”.

Jensen held out his hand. “Jensen” he said.

“Chloe” the blonde said as she smiled. “Please sit down at the table and I’ll bring out some appetisers.  Just some breadsticks, dips and a selection of different cheeses, all hard of course, no soft cheese.  I’ve been told that’s what you’re craving right now”.

“Yes, thank you.  That’s very kind of you” Jensen said as he put a hand over his stomach as he felt another twinge radiating from his back to the front.

“You’re looking great since I last saw you” Chloe said sincerely.

Jensen couldn’t help but laugh.  He knew what she meant and she was just being polite. “Thank you”.

Chloe brought over the appetisers to the table. “Tuck in everyone.  Jensen, can I get you a drink? I’ve got some fresh orange juice?”.

“Just some water please.  Tap water will be fine thank you” Jensen amended when he saw the awkwardness on the blonde’s face when she assumed he wanted mineral water.

“Okay.  Ice?” Chloe asked politely.

“No thank you, as it is will be fine” the executive said. He turned his attention to the blonde man. “Jimmy.  How are you doing?”.

The photographer nodded his head. “Yeah, okay thank you”.

Jensen smiled at the cocktail sticks and used one to pick up a slab of cheese. “How’s the business going?”.

Jimmy winced. “Well, bit slow right now to be honest”.

After swallowing his mouthful, the executive stabbed at another bit of cheese. “I’ve got some more work for you if you’re interested.  A few projects lined up that I’d love to use you for seeing as you did such a great job on the model shoot.  I’m going to need some landscape shots, it’s for an eco-green company.  They need some locations and some shots done”.

“Wow.  That would be great, thank you” the photographer said.

“People have asked me who I’ve used, and I’ve recommended you to them, but for now, I’d like to keep you on for myself.  On a permanent basis in fact” Jensen said.

“Really? I’d be more than honoured to work for you again.  On a regular basis too.  And thank you for recommending me too.  It’s hard to get your own business established and promoting it” Jimmy said gratefully.

Jensen nodded his head with sympathy, understanding entirely. “Yeah, I know, you just need someone, somewhere to give you a break” he said as he winced at another pain in his side.

Jared brought over a steaming plate of vegetables to the table. “Here you go, Chloe says tuck right in, she’s bringing out the pasta in just a second”.

“Wow, this looks so good” Jensen said.  He pointed to the plate. “You go on, I’ll be back in just a minute” he said as he headed off to the bathroom yet again.

Chloe brought in the steaming bowl of pasta chicken and tomato sauce and put it down on the table and sat down. “Where’s Jensen?”.

“Bathroom” Jimmy said as Jared returned to the table with a plate of garlic bread and then sat down.

“Again?” Jared said, slightly concerned. “Maybe I should check on him”.

Jensen appeared looking a little strained and peaky as he plastered on a fake smile on his face. “I’m fine”.

“Are you sure? You look all flushed and in pain” the young assistant pointed out.

“No, I’m good!” the pregnant man said as he sat down at the table, arm draped over his stomach. “Wow, this food looks so good Chloe.  Where did you learn to cook like this?” he asked, changing the subject rapidly.

Chloe started serving up the pasta into bowls. “My parents used to work late, so me and my brother had to learn to fend for ourselves until they got back.  I kinda got fed up of Spaghetti O’s on toast and started to learn how to cook more elaborate things than that” she said passing a bowl to the executive. “Tuck in, I hope that it’s okay for you…”.

Jensen took a bite of the pasta and the vegetables and moaned in delight. “Wow, this is amazing.  The combination of the creamy pasta, tomatoes and the buttery vegetables, it’s fantastic”.

“Glad to hear” the blonde said as she sat down and started to tuck into herself.  She had to admit, it was pretty good and she sighed in relief.

“This is great babe” Jimmy said.

“So good” Jared agreed.

For a few minutes, no-one really spoke, everyone was too busy tucking into their food until the only thing that was left, was four empty plates.

Chloe laughed.  “All that time in the kitchen and it’s all gone in 30 seconds” she laughed. “I think I call it a success”.

“Absolutely” Jared said, smiling as he looked towards his boss, who was looking a little worse for wear. “Jensen?”.

The pregnant executive was leant back in his chair, brushing his hand across a sheen of sweat on his forehead.  His face had become even more flushed. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice sounding more strained.

“You really don’t look very good at all” the young assistant observed.  He put his hand on his boss’ forehead which felt hot. “Jeez, you’re burning up, I think that you’re running a fever”.

“No, I’m fine” Jensen said unconvincingly.  “I uh, oh, GOD!” he moaned as he doubled over in his chair, hand braced on his back.  “I don’t know….I think…..something’s wrong…..pain” he yelped out.

“Chloe, do something, ring 911” Jared shouted out to his best friend.

Jimmy grabbed the keys to his car. “I’ll drive, it’s going to be a lot quicker”.

“Jensen? Is it the babies?” Jared asked, panic rising in his voice.

Jensen panted as the pain radiated up and down his back. “I don’t know, I don’t know.  I feel like I’m going to throw up….” he said as he retched violently.

“Okay let’s go then guys” Chloe said rationally.

“Are you actually going to be sick?” Jared asked as he propped up his boss, putting his arms around him for support.

The pregnant man’s contorted face relaxed and he shook his head. “No, I think I’ll be okay.  Let’s just go”.

Somehow, Jared and Jimmy managed to bundle Jensen into the backseat of the car whilst Chloe rain around to the passenger seat.

Jimmy jumped in the driver’s seat and started the ignition and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, accelerating out onto the main road, towards the hospital.

“It’s okay.  We’ll get there in 10 minutes or so.  How’s the pain now?” Jared asked his boss as he ran his hands through his hair and over his forehead.

Jensen had slowed his breathing down and tried to calm himself down as he knew that getting more worked up wasn’t going to help matters in the slightest. “He’s easing off at the moment.  It just comes and goes in waves.  I think, it’s more in my back than anything else”.

The rest of the journey went quickly, no one daring to speak.  Jimmy was too focussed on the road, Jared was too focussed on his boss, Jensen was concentrating on the pains and Chloe was biting her nails, not quite sure what to focus on.

When they rocked up to the ER, Jensen was able to stagger out of the car, with Jared right behind him for assistance if needed.

“We’ll go and park up, okay?” Jimmy hollered back at them.

Jensen booked himself into the front desk and he was ushered into a room by a nurse.

“Okay sweetie, strip off for me, and we’ll get the doctor in to see you now” the nurse said kindly.

“I have to use the bathroom, right now, I can’t wait, I’m sorry” Jensen said as he squirmed around on the spot in discomfort.

The nurse looked pensieve. “Okay, while you’re there, we may as well get a sample” she said as she handed him a plastic cup.

“Great” the pregnant man said as enthusiastically as possible as he headed into the bathroom.

Jared just paced around the room for a minute or so, not sure whether to talk to the nurse or not.

The bathroom door swung open and Jensen came out feebly and put the cup down on the table. “Is this meant to look like this?”.

The nurse picked up the sample and frowned. “Is this the first time you’ve had blood in your urine?”.

The executive just nodded.

“Does it hurt when you pee? Need to go often and urgently?” the nurse asked again.

Jensen seemed to be embarrassed by the nature of the questions. He nodded his head twice. “Yes, to both.  And now the pain…” he said as another twinge appeared.

“I think he’s running a fever too” Jared perked up.

“Okay hun.  Come up onto the bed for me and I’ll just take your vitals” the nurse said as she strapped the cuff around Jensen’s arm and took his temperature. “Ooh, 103.2.  That’s a pretty nasty fever indeed”.

The door opened after a knock and a doctor walked in and he picked up the notes and nodded his head. “Okay, so you’re having some pain, right?”.

Jensen exhaled. “Yeah. I’m 18 weeks pregnant with twins.  Is my OB/GYN coming to see me? She needs to check them out….”.

The doctor smiled reassuringly. “All in good time Mr Ackles.  I’ll just need to examine you first..” he said looking towards Jared. “This might be a bit…intimate…I suggest you leave and I’ll come and get you when we’re done”.

Jared looked torn. “O-kay.  I’ll be outside Jensen.  It’s going to be alright” he said as he pressed a kiss to his boss’s forehead before quickly exiting the room. 

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	24. Chapter 24

20 minutes later, Jared was still sat outside in the corridor, sitting on the floor, leant up against the wall when Jimmy and Chloe rushed over to him.

“Is everything okay hon?” Chloe asked as she threw her arms around her best friend.

Jared tucked his hair behind his ears in a nervous manner. “I….I don’t know.  The doctor is still with him.  I’m really worried, you know? He’s only just come to terms with this pregnancy and we’re both so excited about finding our their sex in a couple of weeks”.

“He’s in the best place now and whatever is wrong, I’m sure things will be sorted” Chloe said trying to be strong for her best friend.

“Things will be okay mate” Jimmy said, patting Jared on the shoulders. “I’ll go and get us some coffee”.

The door to Jensen’s room opened and the doctor came out. “You can go in and see him now” he said. “Everything’s fine”.

Jared stumbled to his feet and brushed off his jeans. “Okay, thank you” he said breathing a sigh of relief.

Chloe smiled. “I’ll leave you to it, I’ll be back in a bit” she said, kissing her best friend and then running down the corridor after her fiance, catching up with him.

The young assistant opened the door precariously and slid in through the small gap in the door, shutting it behind him.

Jensen was lying down in bed, hands spread out over the expanse of his stomach.  There was a drip in his arm and a blanket over his legs. “Hey, will you quit fretting over there sasquatch.  The babies are moving around, those little flutters again.  It’s really strange, but I’m kind of getting used to it now”.

“So the babies are okay then?” Jared asked, as he sat down on the chair by the side of the bed.

“Yes.  It’s nothing to do with them.  The pain that is” Jensen added.

“So….the pain? Fever? What’s going on? Is it serious?” Jared asked.  He had been so worried about the babies, he hadn’t spared a thought that there could be something wrong with his boss.

“No.  God, it just sounds so trivial it’s ridiculous.  I’ve got a kidney infection, that’s all.  They’re starting me on an IV drip of antibiotics and I should be right in a couple of days, and the peeing every 10 minutes should stop too!” Jensen laughed. 

“Kidney infection?” Jared asked, just to clarify.

“Well, it started off as a urine infection, which is apparently common in pregnancy, and then it tracked up to my kidneys which caused the pain.  Voila, simple infection.  Albeit painful!” the pregnant man said.

“So the babies are fine….and the antibiotics?” Jared questioned as he watched it slowly drip into his boss’ arm.

“All fine.  Okay, it took some convincing on my behalf that I really needed them, but it was either that, or the infection spreading and damaging my kidneys which could cause more harm to the babies.  So I agreed to the antibiotics.  It’s safe enough” the pregnant man said as he satisfied himself with his answer. “So, anyway, we’re all okay”.

Jared drew out a long breath out and relaxed back in the chair. “So you’ll be in for a couple of days then, right?”.

Jensen shook his head and looked at the drip. “No.  I’m bribing them to let me out tomorrow.  This infusion should be done by the morning and then I can continue the rest of the course of antibiotics at home with the tablets”.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were feeling unwell before?” Jared asked. “You didn’t have to hide it”.

“I wasn’t hiding anything.  I thought I was fine.  Until I flaked out on you at dinner this evening” the executive said.  He wiped the back of his hand across his brow. “Can you pass me the cold compress for my head please? I’ve got to get this damn fever down”.

Jared made a leap for the cloth on the bedside table and gently placed it over his boss’s feverish forehead. “That better?”.

“Yeah” Jensen said as he closed his eyes and adjusted his position in the bed.

“I think that you should rest now.  I’ll go and get you some overnight things and I’ll be back in a couple of hours, okay?” Jared said as he squeezed Jensen’s hand.

Jensen nodded his head and opened his eyes. “Excellent, thank you.  I think we should permanently have an overnight bag set up for me.  I’m not even halfway through this pregnancy yet and I’ve clocked up some hospital stays!”.

“Don’t even joke!” the younger man said.

“Where do you think I’m going to be giving birth? In a barn? I’m going to be staying here at least one more time Jared” the older man laughed. “No harm in being prepared”.

“Fine” Jared said. “If you’re good, I’ll sneak you in some food, cos I hear the stuff in here kinda sucks ass”.

“Pudding” the pregnant man hollered back.  “I want pudding….lots of it!”.

Jared laughed with relief.  “You can have as much as you want” he said before closing the door and leaving his boss to recuperate.

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A couple of hours later, Jared slowly opened the door to his boss’s hospital room so as not to disturb him if he was sleeping.

Jensen was sat up in bed, already looking better than he did just 2 hours ago.  The redness in his face had lessened and he looked less peaky.  The antibiotics were doing a steller job.  

The executive was flicking through the channels on the tv.  On seeing his assistant he sighed and switched the tv off. “No cable in here….sucks!”.

“Hey! I thought that you’d be sleeping” Jared said.

“I was. Woke up about 10 minutes ago, starving!” the pregnant man complained.

“You’re looking so much better already, I can’t believe it.  Anyway, I bought you something you might like” the younger man said as he put the brown paper bag the bedside table and swung it around for Jensen. “We have the strawberry and vanilla cheesecake, chocolate gateaux, and some pear and almond tart.  We couldn’t leave these go to waste now could we?!”.

Jensen picked up a fork and dove straight into the cheesecake. “Mmmm, God, if I wasn’t gay…and pregnant, I’d marry this woman!”.

“How about the fact that she’s a pensioner?” Jared giggled as he scooped off the frosting from the gateaux.  It more than lived up to his expectations. “Actually…who cares about age, it‘s just a number.  I want to marry her too! WOW!”.

“The doctor is happy with all my vitals, so he says that I can home in the morning” Jensen said as he scooped as much food as he could onto his fork.

They carried on talking and digging into the selection of desserts until they were all gone.  Both men sighed happily and leant back, happy, contented and stuffed full of dessert.

One of the nurses pressed her head up against the window of their room and frowned.

Jared tried to stifle a laugh.  “I think that she’s trying to tell me that visiting time is over”.

“Battleaxe, just ignore her.  I‘m paying over the odds for this room so any visitor‘s that I have can stay for as long as they want” the executive giggled. “Doesn’t she know who I am?!” he joked in an authoritative voice.

The younger man looked at his watch. “I probably should be heading off anyway.  I’ve fed Lucy for you, and there’s some clean clothes and toiletries in the bag over there for the morning.  Just give me a ring tomorrow and I’ll come and pick you up.  And try to behave and don’t piss off the nurses too much!” he laughed.

Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. “Well I can’t promise that, it all depends on if they piss me off or not!  But I can’t exactly go anywhere with all of this attached to me anyway, so there’s a safe bet that I’ll still be right here tomorrow morning!”.

Jared got up from his chair and planted a kiss on his boss’s forehead, long, slow and loving. “I’ll see you soon Mr Ackles.  Now get some sleep.  Do you want me to get you anything before I go?”.

“No, I’m fine thank you.  We’re fine” Jensen said happily as he pulled the hospital bed covers up over him.

With one last smile, Jared walked out the room and shut the door behind him.

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The next morning Jared had gone into work at the usual time.  Jensen had rung him to say that the doctor had yet to come round and see him yet for the ward round, but that he’ll ring him back when he was ready to go.  He hadn’t got much sleep last night, from worrying about his boss so right now caffeine was the main priority.  He stumbled into the coffee room and headed straight for the coffee machine, watching the black liquid slowly drip into the mug.

Mike and Tom was sat down on one of the table’s deep in conversation.

Jared grabbed his mug of coffee and started to sip from it straight away as he sat down and joined them.

“I still can’t believe that Jensen is pregnant!” Tom said as he shook his head in disbelief.

“Jensen’s obviously not the dominant one in the bedroom, he obviously likes someone else being in charge” Mike giggled. “Oh God….unless he’s got a sperm donor!”.

Jared nearly choked on his coffee. 

“You okay man?” Tom asks, when he finally looked up and saw how tired Jared looks. “You look like crap!”.

“Thanks” the young assistant said sarcastically as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I just was here until late last night that’s all, so I didn’t get much sleep”.

Mike shook his head. “That jackass is working you way too hard.  Tell him to do his own work!”.

Jared had had enough of people disrespecting their boss and was about to explode into a fit of rage and go on the defensive when Brad strolled in.

“Hey Jared.  Is Jensen not in today?” the older man asked concernedly.

“No.  He’s in hospital” the assistant said.

“Oh shit!” Mike said, suddenly feeling guilty. “Is everything okay? And with the babies too?”.

“They’re all okay.  He had a bit of a scare that’s all.  You should have seen how worried he was about the babies, the concern on his face when he thought something was wrong.  He really loves those babies already, it shows off a completely different side to him.  So, whatever you think about him right now……” Jared said as he tapered off.

Tom showed remorse on his face too. “Oh God.  Poor guy.  Were you with him last night then? Besides, where‘s the father of his babies then? Isn‘t he around?”.

Jared realised he had said too much. “Uh, yes.  I was in the office with him and waited with him until the ambulance arrived to take him to hospital. He should be coming home today.  I’m going to go and pick him up in fact.  He’s not got anyone else so….”.

“But everything’s fine though?” Mike checked.

Sighing, Jared nodded. “Yeah.  We’re kinda the only ones that he’s got.  And I know that he’s been an ass to us all but I think we need to rally around and be there for him, more supportive”.

Brad scratched his head and then nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, sure thing.  Poor guy.  Give him my regards and let me know if we can do anything for him”.

“Thank you guys, I’ll pass that on to him” Jared said.

“So, anyway, what’s new with you then Jay? Seeing anyone right now?” Mike asked, winking and patting the younger man on the shoulder with enthusiasm.

Jared blushed and smiled coyly.

Tom gasped and smiled widely. “Oh my Gosh! You totally are! Spill, my man!”.

“It’s, it’s still early days right now.  I don’t want to go into anymore detail than that, because I don’t want to jeopardise anything.  But yeah, we really like each other”.

“Is he cool with the long hours you work?” Mike asked.

“Totally.  He understands and is really supportive of that.  He’s a great guy.  The best!” Jared said, thinking of Jensen alone in the hospital.  He took a quick peek at his cell phone to check if any other messages has come through.

“Ooh, our man here is all loved up!” Mike said happily. “Good on you bud.  You deserve it.  Cos all work and no play and all that…”.

“….yeah don’t worry about that!” Jared hinted.

Jared’s phone started to ring and he smiled when he saw Jensen’s name light up the screen. “Excuse me, I’ve got to get this” he said making his excuse to leave.

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“Are you sure you don’t need me to get you anything else? Have you taken your antibiotics yet? You need to make sure that you take them with food because they can make you sick!” Jared said as he started fussing as soon as he brought Jensen home.

Jensen stroked Lucy who was purring happily on seeing her owner. “Jared? Seriously! Just get back to the office will you? I’m fine.  Not even the nursing staff were this annoying!” he joked.

“Fine, I’m going! My phone is going to be on if you need me…” the younger man said.

The pregnant man opened up the fridge and smiled when he pulled out Loretta’s famous homemade lasagne. “God, I love that woman!”.  He looked over at the other man who was still lurking around the kitchen. “Bye Jared”.

Jared sighed. “Fine, I’m off, I’ll see you later” he said shaking his head in amusement as he left.

“Mmm” the executive moaned as he dipped a spoon into some chutney and put some lasagne in a dish to re-heat.

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Jensen was back in work two days later, feeling fighting fit.  The antibiotics had worked a treat to clear up the infection. He was in the conference room waiting for his team to make an appearance. He was shaking off cramp in one of his legs when Lois came in.

“Glad that you’re feeling better Mr Ackles.  Good to have you back. Cramp?” she asked when she noticed her boss stretching out his leg.

“Yeah.  It’ll go now” the executive said.

Lois smiled. “You need more calcium.  Speak to your OB/GYN about it”.

“Er, thank you.  I’ll ask her about it next time I see her” Jensen said.  He still couldn’t get used to the fact that he had formally announced his pregnancy and that everyone was being more than helpful and supportive about it.  Usually he would just tell people to mind their own business but he was happy for people to help him as he was in unfamiliar territory and other than Jared and his family, he had no one else to turn to about this.

Once everyone had taken their seats Jensen found himself facing his team once again.  He felt a lot more relaxed this time around.  He had changed his attire slightly, substituting a shirt and tie for a linen shirt and chino’s which he found a lot more comfortable to wear these days due to the spring weather and his growing frame.  “I thought I’d give everyone an update on the company.  We are now well into the new financial year.  We’ve gained a new major contract.  Some company called Eco-Green needs our expertise.  They have opted for the full package, so we need photo shoots, radio ads, captions, catchphrases, everything.  You should all have a copy of the brief emailed to you so each department can get to work on what you need to.  I have enlisted the help of Jimmy once again for the photography seeing as he did just a great job on the model agency.  I’m also trying to secure us another contract for a new utilities company.  So things are going good and our figures display that.  So once again I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work in keeping things in great shape.  I’m going to need my team behind me more than ever right now and in the coming months”.

The morale in the room seemed to increase from the boost of faith and confidence, something that everyone needed right now in order to keep going.  Because Jensen’s whole demeanour and mannerisms had softened, it reflected in the rest of the company and the team.

“Okay, any questions right now?” Jensen asked, as he scanned the room.

Mike put his hand up sheepishly and grinned. “Mr. Greenfield?” he said trying not to laugh too much.

The corners of Jensen’s mouth curled up in amusement as he recalled the conversation he had had with Jared about the irony of the name. “Yes, rather apt don‘t you think?” he said, keeping his face straight.  When his team had left the conference room and gone their separate ways, he gathered up the reams of paperwork from his desk and put them in the relevant files before stuffing them into his leather bound briefcase.  Keeping everything organised and tidy was important for him.  He couldn’t bear the thought of clutter or mess of any kind.  He frowned when he heard some commotion from the corridor.

Doug and Bret, two guys who worked together on one of the lower floors in the sound department were shouting at each other and one of the men had grabbed hold of the other in a chokehold, eyes and nostrils flaring in obvious anger. 

“You knew that I like Lauren man! Why did you go after her!”.

“I’m sorry…she seemed in to me, she asked me out and I said yes!”.

“But I like her! Some friend you are!”.

The executive strolled into the corridor, unimpressed as he clutched his briefcase in one hand. “What the hell is going on here?”.

The two men involved in the petty scuffle broke things up.

Jensen was seething. “My office. Right NOW!” he bellowed as he walked down the corridor to his office as the two men followed behind, tails between their legs, knowing they had done wrong.

Once they had reached the office, Jensen slammed the door shut and spun around on his heels. “What the hell is all of this about?!”.

Doug opened his mouth to speak at the same as Bret. 

“He…knew that…”.

“I like her….”.

“I don’t want to hear it, okay?” Jensen said as he put one hand up in the air to silence the duo who were still intent on squabbling like school children. “I really don’t care who did what, why, where and how! Don’t bring your personal crap into my office, into my building! Take a break, go outside and finish this off, kick the holy crap out of each other, I don’t care, but not in here, got it?! Oh, and if you are going to go outside, then make sure that you‘re more than a few feet away from my building! I don't want any blood guts or guts on the paintwork”.

Both men winced when they realised how pathetic they had been.  Their boss looked very angry right now and neither one wanted to   
cross him, let alone utter another word, whether in defence or not. 

“Now go sort yourselves out, then I want you both back down in the radio studio in 30 minutes, got it?” the executive said crossly.

“Yes sir” both men said almost in unison.

“Now leave” Jensen said as he sauntered over to his desk, adjusting the cushion behind his back.  He was trying to let them know that he was done with the conversation.

Just as the feuding duo were leaving his office the phone rang.

“YES?!” Jensen answered, his temper on a short fuse.

“It’s Mandy….” the real estate agent said timidly, sensing that this wasn’t a good time. “Is that Jensen Ackles?”.

Jensen sighed. “Yes, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to answer the phone like that” he said lowering his tone and making it softer and more approachable sounding.  It wasn’t her fault that to he had just had to tell off two imbeciles. “Office politics…”.

“Oh yeah, I completely understand.  I was just ringing to let you know that I’ve received the contracts from the sellers which they’ve signed.  In order to complete, I just need you to sign them, that’s all, then I can process them and the house is yours”.

“That’s great news, thank you so much Mandy, you’re a star.  Do you need me to come to you for the contracts?” the executive asked excitedly.

“Um, actually, I’m in your area this afternoon.  I can come by at about 4pm if that’s okay with you?” Mandy asked from over the phone.

“That’s great, thank you so much.  About my apartment? I was wondering if you could hold off from finding a buyer for a bit.  I want it as insurance and investment, that’s all.  Long story short, I’m going to be involved in a legal battle with my parents” Jensen declared.

“Sure thing hon. I’ll see you later” Mandy said as she clicked off.

Jensen smiled and leant back in his chair happily just as his assistant made an appearance.

“Why so happy?” the younger man asked.

“I got the house” Jensen said simply.

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	25. Chapter 25

The intercom in Jensen’s office blinked and he pressed the ‘on’ button to answer. “Yes?”.

“Mr Ackles, there’s a Ms Mandy Donnell down here for you, shall I send her up?” the secretary said over the comm.

“Yes, send her right up please” the executive said.  Just as he had finished sending off an e-mail, someone knocked the door and he told them to enter.

The real estate agent entered carrying a portfolio with her. “Good afternoon Mr Ackles” she said, greeting the executive.

Jensen got up from his desk and went to shake the woman’s hand. “Afternoon”.

“You’re looking great” Mandy smiled as she signalled to the chair on the other side of the desk. “May I?”.

“Of course” Jensen said as he sat back down in his chair, adjusting his position to ease his back. “So, you just need my signatures then? And we’re all done?”.

“Absolutely” Mandy said as she pulled out the relevant paperwork. “Just need you to sign here, here…..here and here……”.  She pointed to lines on different pieces of paper.

Jensen hastily scribbled his signature on the relevant lines on the contracts, his smile and excitement increasing after each signature.  “So they’re moving out within the next few weeks then?”.

Mandy nodded her head. “Yes, they are indeed! They are very excited about handing over the house to someone so prestigious as you”.

The executive blushed slightly. “Hhmm….well, I’m very happy to have a found such an amazing house.  Thanks to you.  I can’t wait to get in there and put my interior designer to work.  It’s like a blank canvas almost”.

“It is a gem of house, that’s for sure” the realtor agreed.  She glanced through all the documents and checked that everything matched up. Nodding her head she seemed satisfied. “I think that we’re all done here”.

“Okay. So…a few weeks then?” Jensen asked.

Mandy smiled. “Yes, let’s say a month.  Give them time to move out, and for us to do all of our final checks and then it’s all yours.  I’ll be in touch once I get the keys.  Any problems, you know where I am.  And I’ve halted the listings on your apartment too as requested.  Again, if you have any other issues with that, get in touch with me” she said as she got to her feet.

Jensen got to his feet to bid the realtor farewell.  “Thank you so much Mandy for your services”.

“Well, that’s why you pay me the big bucks, right?” she said winking as she gathered up the documents and put them away in her filofax.

Laughing, the executive nodded his head. “Worth every penny and dime” he agreed as he watched her leave the room.  After she left, he looked through his contacts file and picked up the phone to make yet another phonecall.

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Jensen was in bed trying to get comfortable, tossing and turning. This was the second night in a row that he couldn’t get properly comfortable.  He tried on his back but his stomach was putting too much pressure on it, then he tried on different sides but failed due to his every growing stomach.  After what felt like hours of restlessness, he finally gave up and got up out of bed and wandered into the kitchen.

Lucy was sleeping in her basket by the kitchen table and didn’t even stir when her owner stroked her.

“I’m glad someone is able to sleep” he said tiredly, yawning as he moved over to sit on the couch.  He was exhausted but just couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep.  Lying down, he rearranged some cushions from the couch and put them underneath his head and then grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and covered himself up in it.  Half on his side, and half on his back, he was able to find some sort of comfort and after 20 minutes or so, he finally managed to drop off to sleep.

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Jensen is pretty much slumped over his desk with a cup of coffee in hand, when Jared appears the next morning.

“Hey, you okay? You kinda look…” Jared said, stalling on the word.

“Like crap!” the executive finished.

Jared looked amused by the statement. “That’s not what I was going to say, but…yeah.  I was going to say tired…”.

“Try exhausted” Jensen said. “I just haven’t really slept the past couple of nights. I’ve been uncomfortable”.

“Is it anything to do with your kidney infection?” Jared asked concernedly.

“No, nothing to do with that.  I’m nearly over that.  I’m just getting bigger and it’s not easy to find a comfortable position to sleep in” Jensen admitted as he took another sip from his cup of coffee.

Jared scratched his head.  “I think my sister said something about a special pillow or something you can buy, she raved about it anyway, said that it was the best invention ever invented”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Great, I’ll look into it” he said taking another sip from his mug of coffee.

The younger man looked suspiciously at the mug of coffee. “De-caff, right?”.

“No.  Before you go on, it’s fine, I checked online, I’m allowed one cup a day and needs must.  I need the caffeine because I can’t keep my eyes open” the pregnant man said, yawning. “Man does it taste good.  I don’t know if I can do another 4 months of this, no caffeine.  I miss it…and now my mug is empty…”.  He felt a little flutter inside him and he smiled, putting his hand on his stomach.  “But I will, for these two…”.

“Are they moving again?” Jared asked excitedly.

Laughing, the pregnant man smiled. “Yeah, I think so.  It’s just still so small that I can barely feel it.  But it’s there.  It’s a very strange feeling, I can’t quite get used to it yet.  Don’t forget the scan on Friday.  3pm”.

Jared smiled. “No way, I’m not going to be missing that one for anything! It’s the 20 week scan, the important one.  They’ll check the chamber’s of their hearts, the bony anatomy, kidneys, bladder, stomach….and whether we have two boys, two girls, or one of each!”.

Jensen laughed. “Have you been ready those baby books again?”.

“Yeah…thought I’d do some research before we went….you know those medical people, they bombard you with all this jargon that I don’t understand, so I thought that I’d swat up” the younger man said as he ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

“Things are going to be okay, I have a good feeling about it!” Jensen said as he put his hand over his tummy.  “I also have a feeling that one of them is going to be a girl.  Just instinct….”.

“A girl, huh? A little girl…she’ll be gorgeous…as will her sibling” Jared said.  He looked towards the door.  “I suppose I better get on with some work, you know, before the boss starts shouting at me”.

“Well, I could ask him to go easy on you, you know?” Jensen smirked.

“Nuh, where would the fun be in that?” the younger man said slyly as he shirked out of the room.

Jensen yawned and put down his empty mug on the desk.  It was going to be a long day.

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Jensen was stood at the entrance to Mama’s and Papa’s nervously for a few minutes before he chastised himself for being so silly.  It was only a shop, what could be so scary about it? He only wanted this so called special pillow, it couldn’t be that hard to find, surely?

A couple go out the doors with a trolley brimming full of baby stuff.  This roused him out of his stupor and he sighed, finally making the move to step inside the store.

Once inside, he scanned the inside of the store, looking down at the 22 aisles.  He felt a sudden overwhelming feeling on being in over his head.  There were diapers, strollers, formula, toys, cribs, and a load of stuff that he didn’t know what it was.  He then found himself in the clothing aisle and in amongst an assortment of pink frilly dresses.  Smiling, he picked one up off the hanger and held it up.  Not wanting to tempt fate, he quickly returned it and continued his hunt.  He was freaking out about everything, but he needed to keep it simple for now.

A young woman approached him. “Hey, I’m Maddie. Can I help you sir?”.

Jensen blushed and brushed his finger over his ear. “I er….I don’t really….this is embarrassing, I’m not sure what I’m looking for really…” he admitted.

Maddie’s blonde ponytail whipped behind her. “First timer?” she asked.  When Jensen didn’t answer, she smiled sympathetically. “It’s okay, everyone is all the same.  It’s amazing how much stuff you need for one little person”.

The executive came out of his shell. “Actually…..two…”.

“Oh wow! You are definitely going to have your hands full then! What do you want to start with today?” Maddie asked.

“I can’t get comfortable in the nights anymore.  Someone told me about a pillow or something?” Jensen said, still unsure in this unfamiliar territory.

“Ah yes, one of our popular items for moms and dads to be” Maddie said as she led the way towards aisle number 15.

Jensen followed her strides, trying to keep up and not get distracted and feel daunted by yet more unfamiliar items on the shelves.  The young shop assistant took him straight to it and picked up the box and dumped it in an abandoned shopping cart.

“There you go hon, anything else I can get for you today?” Maddie asked all bright and annoyingly cheery.

The executive shook his head. “Thank you.  I think this is it for now.  I’ll just have a quick browse around.  I think I need my partner with me for help”.

Maddie grabbed a catalogue from one of the aisles and handed it over to her customer. “Here’s our new Spring/Summer catalogue.  You can peruse through this at your leisure.  The larger items you’ll need to order in advance and they are delivered within 6-8 weeks, so make sure you order them well in advance for when you need them”.

Exhaling slowly at the inevitable daunting task ahead of him, he gratefully took the catalogue. He suddenly felt quite drained and tired. “Thank you.  I think I’ll just take this for now, pay for it.  I need to sit down and work out what I’m going to need first”.

“Okay, no worries sir” Maddie said as she lifted the box from the shopping cart and carried it towards the till to check it out.

Jensen handed over his credit card and went to take the box when the shop assistant shook her head.

“I’ll carry it.  It’s not that heavy, but the box is a bit bulky and awkward to carry.  You really shouldn’t be lifting anything from now on” Maddie said.

“Ha, you sound like my partner….” Jensen answered with a hint of humour in his voice. “It’s over here” he said when they reached his Porshe.

Maddie wolf whistled and rolled her eyes. “Nice ride.  Whoo! I hope this is just your run around because you’ll never get two baby seats in the back of this car, you’re going to need something a little bigger!”.

“Oh…I didn’t even think about that!” the pregnant executive admitted out loud.  Another thing to add to his ever growing list of things that was going to change his whole life around.  He would have to get another car, something more reliable, something more family friendly and safe for car seats.  Car seats, dang, he hasn’t thought about those either! Pressing the button for the trunk, it popped open and Maddie put the box down into and he closed it shut. “Thank you very much.  I’m sure that you’ll be seeing me again very soon to buy out the whole store, twice over”.

“No worries sir, take care” Maddie said, flashing a smile at the executive, before heading back into the store.

Jensen slid into the driver’s seat of the Porshe and suddenly realised the lack of space.  He would not be able to fit behind the wheel soon.  He guessed he had maybe another 2 months. He really hoped that Jared knew something about cars.  His stomach began to gurgle, a mixture of nerves and hunger.  Putting the car into reverse, he backed out of the parking lot and headed towards the nearest place serving something full of melted cheese.

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Jensen had got home, and unpacked his pillow from the box.  It was so damn comfortable that he’d laid it down on the floor and snuggled up on it, with some cushions from the couch.  He had Lucy cuddled up purring next to him, and the baby catalogue in his hand, flipping through the thick, glossy pages, all 378 of them trying to decide what he needed.  He was so deep in thought he didn’t hear the key in the lock and the front door swing open.

Jared shut the front door behind him and could see Jensen lying down on the floor. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” he asked, as he ran over.

“I need a new car too, why didn’t I think about that before? I’m a terrible father already.  I mean, two babies in a two seater Porshe, is not going to happen!” the executive said as he threw the catalogue down onto the floor and causing Lucy to get up and dash off onto the couch.

“Did you fall?” Jared asked, still worried.

Jensen looked up at the other man who was hovering up above him looking flustered. “No, I’m fine.  I just wanted to lie here, it’s comfortable and good for my back.  I bought that pillow thing that you mentioned.  I think that I’m going to sleep really well tonight! But now you mention it…I’m not sure that I’m actually going to be able to get up easily anyway”.

Jared laughed and extended out a hand.

“No, I’m okay down here for a while” the older man said.

“Okay, care for some company?” the younger man said as he laid down on the floor next to his boss. “So, new car then?”.

“Yes…and the entire contents of this catalogue too” Jensen said as he picked it back up and passed it over to Jared.

Jared started flicking through, pausing occasionally on the odd page to glance at things. “I see you’ve circled this crib?”.

Jensen blushed slightly. “Yes.  I like the colour of the wood. You can customise it in either neutral yellows, or blues or pinks”.

“I like it too” Jared said as he flicked through a few more pages. “This is cute too” he said pointing to a changing table.

“I’m going to miss this apartment, you know?” Jensen said as he looked around. “But this house is going to be so much more, it’s perfect”.

“Are you selling the apartment then?” the younger man asked.

“No, not yet.  I’m going to keep hold of it for a while.  Keep it as part of an investment.  How are Jimmy and Chloe getting on with their house hunting? Because if the rent expires on your apartment, I’d be more than happy to rent this out to them, for the same price of course so they can carry on saving. Put it to them.  Everything is thrown in, furniture, soft furnishings.  Except for Lucy of course”.

“Wow, that’s very generous of you Mr Ackles, I’ll let them know and get them to get back to you” Jared said as he moved closer to his boss and draped an arm around him.

Jensen moaned softly and put one hand on his stomach and cupped his other hand around Jared’s. “I’m so happy right now…”.

Breathing in the scent of his boss’ aftershave, the younger man nodded and sighed happily. “Me too…”.

They both lay there for a few minutes, tuned into each other’s breathing, exploring each other’s hands with their fingers.

“Okay, my back says that its time to get up now.  You may need to give me a hand” Jensen said as he made an attempt to get up himself.

Jared was on his feet in a flash and helped to pull up the pregnant man off the floor.

Jensen arched his back and then straightened himself up. “Thank you.  I’m starving, how about we get a takeout or something.  I fancy Mexican”.

“What? The great Mr Ackles getting a takeout? Surely that’s almost unheard of!” Jared joked.

“Well, you won’t be getting any then…” the pregnant man said amusedly as he folded his arms across his chest.

“Now, let’s not be too hasty here and make rash decisions, I love Mexican…” Jared smirked.

“Extra hot peppers?” Jensen asked as he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“The hotter the better” the younger man said as he nodded his head.

Jensen was laughing to himself as he picked up the receiver and began to dial a number.

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Jensen was sat at his desk when his phone rang.  He picked it up in his monotonous telephone office voice. “Mr Ackles speaking, how may I help you?”.

It was a voice that he hadn’t heard in a long time.  An old associate with whom he had shared a good friendship with for a few months when he was living in New York for a year.  He hadn’t spoken to him in years. “Steve.  Wow, it’s been a while, how things?”.

“Yeah things are okay.  My company is holding an annual conference in Boston in 6 weeks, bit short notice, but I was ringing to ask if you’d like to come? I’d love for your company to be involved, it will be just the boost that I need.  It’s too short notice to send out formal invitations so I’m doing the rounds by phone.  It will be really nice to see you, it’s been a while”.

“Yeah, it’s been way too long.  I’d love to” Jensen said as he put his hand across his stomach. He then realised that he would be too far gone in his pregnancy to risk the 6 hour flight. “Crap….I forgot, I can’t go, I’m sorry…”.

The other man sounded disappointed on the other end of the phone. “Oh…but I haven’t even told you the exact date yet..”.

“I mean…I know that I won’t be able to make it personally….I can’t fly right now….If it were within driving distance I could do it…” the pregnant executive admitted.

“Can’t fly? What do you mean?” Steve asked from the other end of the phone.

Jensen exhaled heavily. “I’m pregnant.  It will be too risky. I’ll be over 6 months gone by then, I’m really sorry.  But next time you hit the West Coast, hit me up and we’ll arrange a catch up!”.

“Pregnant? Really? You? I mean, that’s great, congratulations Jensen” the other man said sincerely.

“Listen, I’ll send one of my trusted employees, okay? And I’ll provide you with any additional support, advertising that you need.  I owe you.  Anything that you need let me know. If you host another conference next year, book me in on the top of the guest list” Jensen said remorsefully as he glanced down at his watch anxiously.

“Thank you Jensen, that’s great.  I’ll be in touch” Steve said as he wrapped things up.

Just as Jensen put the phone down and started to clear things away on his desk, Jared entered the office looking a little fidgety. “Are you all ready to go? The appointment is  in 40 minutes!”.

“Yep, just gotta grab a few things on the way out” Jensen said as he shut down his laptop and put it in the briefcase.

“Been drinking lots of water so we can get nice pictures of our babies?” Jared asked as he bit one of his nails.

Jensen picked up his half finished bottle of water and shook it as if to prove a point. “This is the second one of these and I’m about feeling it right now. Okay…I’m all set…20 week scan…”.

“20 week scan….” Jared repeated out loud to try and get it to sink in.  As his boss brushed up against him he grabbed him and gently pulled him close up against him and started to kiss him tenderly on the lips.

“Jensen I need….” Brad started to say as he rushed into his boss’ office before freezing at the doorway at the sight in front of him. “Oh…”.

The couple broke away from each other as Brad started to back out of the office.

“CRAP! Brad, wait!” the executive shouted back.

Brad slunked back into the office and shut the door behind him. “I’m sorry, I should have knocked, but then the door was wide open….”.

“Look, I haven’t got time to explain right now, okay.  But for now, can you please pretend that you haven’t seen anything, please” Jensen pleaded with his senior employee. “I’ve got my 20 week scan to get to.  We’ll talk when we get back, I promise, I’ll explain….”.

“No…there’s no need….is er….Jared going with you?” Brad asked feeling awkward.

Jared had recovered from the embarrassment and shock enough to answer.  “Yes….we need to leave now, we’ll be late otherwise…”.

“Good luck…” Brad said. “I’ll just leave these on your desk for when you get back?” he muttered.

Once they were out of the office, clear of the corridor and into the elevator on their way down to the parking lot in the basement, Jared started his major freak out.

“Shit! Do you think he’ll tell everyone? I mean, people are going to start resenting me you know? Sleeping with the boss to get promoted….office whore….GOD! They could make my life hell….”.

Jensen started to laugh.

“What? You think that this is funny? Really?” Jared said exasperatedly. “How the hell is this funny.  He saw us kissing! He knows….soon everyone will know….don’t you care?”.

“No.  I don’t care.  Maybe I want people to find out like this.  People are going to find out at some point.  I wasn’t sure how we were going to tell them…..I guess this is it.  Problem solved….now quit stressing and untwist your panties…” the executive said as he grinned, stepping out of the elevator and clicking the control on his key fob to open the car doors on his Porsche.  He slid into the driver’s seat whilst Jared just stood next to the car, still quietly freaking out and pulling at his hair. “Are you getting in the car Dorothy or are you going to stand there all day whilst I see our babies?”.

Jared opened up the passenger door and got in sulkily.

Suddenly there was a knock on the car window and Brad was stood there with a manilla folder in his hand.

Jensen rolled down his window. “Brad?”.

Brad still looked a little shocked but he smiled nonetheless.  “You left this on your desk.  I didn’t look inside, but I could see from the front that they were your hospital notes, I figured that you might need them for the scan and prenatal appointment…”.

“Thank you” the executive said as he took the notes and handed them over to his assistant for safe keeping. “I need these.  I guess we left in a bit of a hurry”.

“Look, don’t worry about anything, okay? I’m not one for gossip, and as long as the two of you are happy then that’s all that matters. We’ll talk later.  I hope everything goes okay” Brad said as he bid them farewell again.

Jensen smiled and put a hand on his young assistant’s leg reassuringly. “See? I told you that everything would be okay? Look, besides, I’m the boss, if anyone has got a problem with us, then I can fire them just like that!”.

Jared still felt un-nerved by the whole thing, but he forced a smile on his face for Jensen’s benefit. “Yeah, okay”.

The rest of the journey was spent in relative silence, both men just counting down the miles to the hospital and the minutes until they could get to see their babies again.

 

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	26. Chapter 26

The wait in the waiting room was the worst, surrounded by other expectant couples.

Jensen laughed and put his hand across his tummy.

“What?” Jared asked, half concerned and half curious.

“I guess the babies are excited as me to be seen on the big screen. Wow, they are going crazy right now.  This is really surreal.  I think that this is going to take a lot of getting used to” the executive said.  He glanced at his watch.  The clinic was running 10 minutes late.

“Mr Ackles?” a nurse called from outside one of the examining rooms.

Jensen and Jared were both on their feet in seconds and followed the nurse into the empty examining room.

The blonde nurse smiled. “Dr Lane is just finishing off with another patient.  If you can put on this gown and come and lie down on the table, she’ll be with you in a few minutes” she said as she pulled the curtain around Jensen and left him to it.

Once Jensen had got changed into the gown, he shyly opened the curtain and walked over to the bed and sat down.  His hands covered up his stomach as much as he could.  He felt very self conscious being so vulnerable and wearing a paper thin hospital gown. “I guess I need to get used to these procedures, right? Plus, are they serious? This gown doesn’t leave much to the imagination…”.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you can totally pull it off…” Jared said as he tried to stifle his laughter.

The pregnant man sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to get comfortable.

At that moment, Dr Lane walked into the room and smiled at the expectant parents as she reached for Jensen’s chart and notes. “How are you doing then?”.

“Okay…I guess….I mean, I’ve never been pregnant before, let alone with twins, so I don’t know exactly what to expect here…just that this rapid weight gain is worrying me…” Jensen said nervously.

“Well, I’m sure that you’re doing just fine.  Why don’t you get on the scales and we’ll have a look” Dr Lane said. “So, I can see from this, that you had a nasty water and kidney infection a few weeks ago.

Jensen winced at the memory as he headed over to the scales and stepped on. “Yeah, it’s all cleared up now, thank God.  Peeing every five minutes was not fun I can tell you”.

Dr Lane laughed. “Ha, well make the most of that, because as soon as you hit the third trimester you’ll be back to peeing every five minutes, it’s not going to last!”.

“Great! And are you sure that these scales are calibrated properly? It says that I’ve gained another few pounds this week alone” Jensen said pouting as stepped off the scales.

“Actually, that’s about right for 20 weeks, if anything, you’re still a little underweight believe it or not.  So that makes your total weight gain so far…about 19 pounds” the doctor said.

Jared’s ears pricked up. “Underweight? Well, we can sort that out, I’m sure”.

“Great, even fatter….” Jensen said as he rolled his eyes and clambered back on to the bed and laid down.

“So, today I’m going to be doing a detailed scan on the twins, checking out the heart, limbs and the anatomy, and then, if you like, we’ll see if we can see what you’re having…” Dr Lane said.

“Yes please, we’d like that.  But make sure that they’re healthy first though.  I mean, they’re both really active, so that’s good right?” Jensen asked as the panic started to rise in him.

Dr Lane smiled as she picked up the transducer and set up the machine. “Cold gel” she warned as she squirted it on her patient. “Active is good…..right then….”.

There was silence for a few seconds, whilst the physician located the first baby on the screen.

“Okay Baby A” Dr Lane announced as she hovered the transducer over the first baby.

“Wow, the baby looks so much bigger now, they’ve grown” Jared said as he marvelled at the picture.

“I think that’s the general idea” Jensen laughed.

Dr Lane remained silent as she concentrated on the task in hand. “Okay limbs look okay, measurements are right on track, I just need to check out the heart, I need complete silence for a minute or two…”.

Jared could sense his boss’ apprehension and grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of the baby’s heartbeat, strong and a steady rhythm.

“Okay, the heart looks just great, no defects or abnormalities. Baby A is doing just fine….and is in prime position for me to find out what you’re having too….shall I?” the Dr asked.

The two men smiled and looked at each other.

“Okay….you have one healthy looking baby girl here…” Dr Lane said as she looked at the two expectant fathers.  This was one of the good parts of the job.

“A….a girl?” Jensen clarified. “We’re having a girl?”. His eyes prickled with tears, threatening to spill out.

Jared’s eyes were a little glassy too. “A girl…”.

Jensen exhaled slowly.  His excitement was short lived. “What about the other one? Can you check out the other one..”.

“Of course….okay…Baby B, here we are. This one is higher up, lying just above it’s sister. And just as active” the doctor said as she went silent again as she checked the other baby.  This one looks just as good, let me check the heart…congratulations, you have two very healthy babies….obviously there are some things that cannot be picked up via ultrasound, but everything I’ve seen here today is just fine. So, Baby B?” Dr Lane asked.

“Yeah” Jensen nodded affirmatively.

Dr Lane smiled. “Well, I hope that you two like pink, because this one is a girl too…”.

The pregnant man broke down in a uncontrollable fit of hormonal tears. It was all the worry and emotion of the past few weeks coming in a rush. “Girls…”.

“Two beautiful girls….wow…” Jared said all choked up. “Non-identical girls…”.

Jensen was too choked up to say anything else. After a minute or so, he reached for a tissue that Jared was offering him. “God, I’m crying! I’ve never cried like this…not ever…..I don’t do crying…”.

“I think that on this occasion, you’re entitled to.  It’s an amazing moment.  Congratulations.  I’ll give you two a few minutes, and then I’ll call the nurse in to get a urine and blood sample for you as per routine.  We need to start checking your levels more frequently now especially as this pregnancy is high risk” Dr Lane said.  She saw the apprehension return on the two men’s faces. “But for now, everything is just fine, so don’t worry about things that could happen, concentrate on right now”.

“Thank you Dr Lane” Jensen said as he pulled himself together.

“I’ll see you again soon.  I want to see you in a month, then after that, the appointments will be more and more frequent” the doctor said.

“Whatever it takes to keep them healthy” the pregnant man said as he put his hand across his tummy and smiled through watery eyes.

Once the doctor had left them to it, Jensen shook his head. “God, I’m a fucking emotional mess!”.

Jared put his arm around his boss and shushed him. “It’s fine.  I think that it’s really sweet that you care so much about our babies.  Our girls…..jeez, a double helping of pink.  It’s going to be interesting….amazing though.  I know nothing about girls…I guess that’s why I’m gay ha ha!”.

“I had a dream a few weeks ago you know. About two little girls running around, matching pink frilly dresses, hair in pigtails. I guess it’s kind of like a premonition now.  They were gorgeous too” Jensen said.

“Yeah? I can totally picture it” Jared said as he picked up the scan pictures of the babies and laid them down on Jensen’s burgeoning stomach. “I guess we’ll need my sister’s help on this one…”.

They stayed like that until the nurse entered the room and announced that she was going to take some blood.

Jensen held out his arm willingly and smiled at Jared.

 

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Jensen was sat in his office, catching up on some emails when there was a tentative knock on the door and Brad stuck his head around the corner.

“Coast is clear, you can come in, it’s fine” Jensen said as he looked up.

“How did everything go at the scan yesterday?” Brad asked.

“Everything’s great. We’re having two girls….” the executive announced.

“Oh wow, that’s amazing.  Girls are the best.  I’ve got two daughters and a son. If they are going to be anything like my two, they’ll have you wrapped around your little finger the second they’re born” Brad said.

“I take it that you’ve guessed that Jared is the father.  He’s worried about what people are going to think. It’s not like that.  We just clicked, he changed me for the better and now he’s given me the best gift ever, something I never thought that I wanted, but now I wouldn’t change for the world.  We are in love, so think what you what….” the executive said as he got to his feet and filled up a glass of water from the water cooler.

Brad smiled. “I told you, I’m not judging you on this.  I’ve seen the change in you in the past few months and you’re happy.  I’ve worked for you for years now, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen you happy, always smiling, hell, I’ve even seen empathy!”.

Jensen smirked. “Ah, baby hormones I believe.  I should be back to my usual self in a few months”.

“Look, when you’re ready for everyone else to find out, I’ll support the two of you 100%.  The two of you are clearly happy and in love so who’s going to stand in the way of that?” the senior employee said.

“Thank you.  I mean, really thank you” Jensen said sincerely.

“Wow, hurry up and have those babies, I’m not sure I like this level of sincerity on you” Brad said jokingly.

“Fine, then get the hell out of my office” Jensen said sternly with a hint of a smirk on his face.

Brad smiled and nodded as he left the office.

Jensen giggled to himself as he sat back down in his chair and resumed his work.

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Jared let himself into Jensen’s apartment, carrying two bags of takeout Italian food. “Hey.  I got you some Pasta.  Extra cheesy with a side helping of Parmesan”.

“Yum” Jensen said as he grabbed the bag and opened up the container.  He reached for the plastic fork and dove straight in.

“I was going to serve them up on plates….but uh…..too late I guess….” Jared laughed.

“God this is amazing, I mean, the best.  How did you know that I wanted this?” Jensen said between mouthfuls.

“Well, I don’t know. Good guess? Or the hints you’ve dropped all day about wanting pasta and cheese?” the younger man said with a grin on his face.

“Was I?” Jensen said as he took a break from stuffing his mouth full of food. “God, I’m no closer to choosing the furniture for the nursery.  It’s harder than ever”.

“Let’s have a look then shall we?” Jared said as he peeled the brochure away from the other man.  Well, how about we start at the cribs, then the rest will go with that? So, what kind of wood? I mean, I take it that you don’t want anything too dark?”.

Jensen tossed some pasta around with his fork. “No.  I was thinking a light colour wood.  Maybe something white?”.

Jared flicked through some pages until he landed on one that looked promising. “How about this one? I like the detail on it, very intricate.  You can dress it up with the pink mattress and pillow on page 332” he said as he flicked between the two pages.

“Yeah, I like it.  Love it.  It’s perfect, write down the catalogue numbers.  We’ll need two of each” the pregnant man said as he resumed eating.

“Okay, so, the rest is easy then.  The matching chest of drawers, two of them, and two of the wardrobes.  That was easy.  What next?” the younger man said as he quirked his eyebrows up and down.

“Wow, just like that, eh? It’s taken me all day to look through these and I couldn’t come to a decision and you’ve done it in less than minutes.  How are you so good at these things?”” Jensen said almost pouting as he folded his arms across his chest.

“Well, that’s why you hired me! Wow, that pasta didn’t even touch the sides with you!” Jared said in amazement at how fast his boss had devoured the container of food.

Jensen sighed. “Yeah I know.  It’s all gone though and I’m still hungry.  I could do with something else and some pudding, maybe chocolate torte and cream?”.

Jared smiled and opened up the second bag. “Well, what do you know.  Garlic bread, and a chocolate torte.  Will that do sir?”.

“God I love you so much right now I could probably eat you up.  But I’ll start with this lot first” the pregnant man said.

“What will you serve me with? Lashings of cheese?” Jared asking teasingly.

“Mmmhmm, I’d coat you in cheese, then gently melt it and serve you with a salad garnish” Jensen said licking his lips.

“Wow. So how much would a dish like me cost then?” the younger man asked, smiling intently, his eyes completely focused on his boss.

“Well…I’d pay a lot of money for you….I mean we’re talking six figure numbers here…” the executive said quirking his eyebrows.

Jared moaned very quietly and moved closer to Jensen slowly and seductively.  His finger gently grazed his boss’ cheek, moving onto his lips and caressing them with his index finger until he moved even closer and pressed his lips against the soft plump lips of the other man.

Jensen moaned too and leant into the kiss and put an arm around his assistant, pulling him closer into him. “God….” he said pulling away. “I need you right now….bedroom….” he said clambering off the stool on the breakfast bar.  He grabbed the other man’s hand and tugged at it like a petulant, needy child.

“Are you sure?” the young assistant asked. “I mean….I want to, of course I want to, but only if you do….”.

“Oh shut up and stop being a pussy, come on” Jensen said as he tugged harder at Jared’s hand and dragged him towards the plush Queen sized bed in his bedroom.

“Okay” Jared said obliging and followed into the bedroom.  Before he even reached the foot of the bed, Jensen had already began to tug off his shirt and was trying in haste to remove his pants. “Woah…”.

“So, so….uh…horny…these hormones….driving me insane…” Jensen breathed, his breath staggered and breathy with wanton desire and lust for the half naked man in front of him.

“Well who am I to argue with that! you’re my boss….and my man….it’s in my job to oblige and pander to your every whim….” Jared said as he worked the buttons on Jensen’s shirt.

“Hhhmmm” Jensen said as he licked his lips. “Well right now, my whim is that I need you in me, right now. Think you can accomplish that brief? Improvisation will be welcomed and earn you bonus points.  I like people who take initiative”.

“Well…let’s see…” Jared said as he raised an eyebrow.  He started to suck and nibble gently on his boss’ earlobe, bringing his lips down the contour of his neck and then in the sensual dip on his collarbone. He was fuelled by the delicious noises coming from the other man.

“Great initiative Mr Padalecki, carry on” Jensen said as his fingers tugged at his pants as he laid down on the bed, Jared carefully positioning himself on top of him.

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Jared and Chloe were in their apartment with cardboard boxes trying to sort out their things to pack up.

“I can’t believe that we are both moving on here.  This is crazy Chlo!” Jared said to his best friend as he poured more wine in their glasses.

“I know! I can’t believe I’m going to be moving into Jensen’s apartment.  I mean, OMG! I’m a waitress on minimum wage! Wah! I’m so excited.  I’m moving onwards and upwards here” the petite blonde said as she looked at the ring on her finger. “And I’m going to be getting married really soon. God!”.

Jared smiled and nodded his head. “And I’m going to be a father, to two girls by the end of the summer! Crazy!”.

“Baggsy Godmother!” Chloe shouted out as she sipped her wine.

“Yeah, for sure” Jared said as he put his glass of wine down on the coffee table.  He ran his hand over the wood and smiled. “I’m going to miss us living together.  And this old table.  Wow, the story behind this…”.

Chloe nearly spat out some wine as she laughed at the memory. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.  I mean, this was left outside by the dumpster. I’m so glad that we were drunk when we carried it ten blocks back to the apartment building”.

“Too bad at the time, we didn’t realise that people throw out tables in the trash for a good reason” Jared snorted. “Well, once we cleaned it up good and proper, doused it in disinfectant and painted it, I think it looks pretty good!”.

“Yeah, it does.  God, at the time, we didn’t have two dimes to rub together.  But we made this home.  And it’s served us well over the past few years.  We’ve had some good times in this place” the blonde reminisced.  “So, who’s taking the chipped white mugs in the kitchen?”.

“Uh, you can have them.  It’s going to break my heart, but that’s how much I love you Chlo, you can have the chipped, coffee stained mugs!” Jared said amusedly.

“Uh, trash?” Chloe asked.

Jared nodded his head as he gathered up some of his DVD’s and put them into a cardboard box.

The move wasn’t for another couple of weeks yet, but there was so much stuff that they had accumulated over the years, it would take them a while to sort through it all.

Chloe moved once of the couches back and wrinkled up her nose as she retrieved a pair of boxers, which had started to gather dust. “Ew, Jay. I don’t even wanna know” she said tossing them at him.

“Oh God, they’re not even mine” Jared said as he studied them. “Oh fuck.  Burn them quick. I think they may be Patrick’s!” he said catapulting them across the room.

The blonde, laughed and smiled when she opened up a photo album.  “We’ll get these copied so we can have one each”.  They were pictures of both of them together, on night’s out, spanning back several years.

Jared sighed. “Let’s go out Chlo.  Just you and me, like the good old days.  Come on.  Celebrate our new beginnings” he said as he jumped up from the floor and headed for his bedroom.

“What, like right now?” Chloe asked.

“Yes, come on, be ready in 20 minutes, I’m serious. And get another bottle of wine open missy.  We’re going to hit the town and party JayChlo style!” Jared said as he opened his wardrobe and started rifling through his selection of shirts.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders and sauntered off to her bedroom. “Okay.  I bet I can be ready before you!”.

“It’s oooooon!” Jared said.

 

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“God, I’m can’t believe you’ve dragged me out Jay, I’m wasted!” Chloe said.

“Well, that’s what got us both into our new situation all those months ago.  That’s how we got our men” Jared slurred back.  How ever much his best friend had drunk, he had had at least double that, and then some. He discreetly checked his phone to see if there were any texts on his phone- from Jensen.  He blinked and looked at his watch.  It was gone 2am.  Didn’t he learn his lesson about going out on a week night from before.

“You thinking about Jensen?” Chloe asked as she shouted to her best friend.  The music was getting louder in the club- either that or the alcohol had well and truly taken effect and was impairing their hearing.

Jared nodded his head. “Yeah.  I miss him.  I wanna go and see him.  Now”.

“Oh God, yeah.  I kinda already text Jimmy and put him on standby to say I’ll be coming back to his in a bit.  We’ve both got the day off today, woohoo!” Chloe said as she downed the rest of the wine in her glass.

“Shall we go then Miss Sullivan?” Jared said as he got to his feet and held out his arm.

“Yup.  I’ve had the best time with you as always.  End of an era, but the start of something new and exciting.  We can still go out with each other, just because we won’t be living with each other again, doesn’t mean that we can’t do this again soon” the blonde said as she hailed a cab.

“Yeah. God I’m sooo drunk.  We should have stuck to wine Chlo.  Those shots were just too much.  I’m going to have such a bad head in a few hours! Fuck!” Jared said.  He turned to the cab driver and muttered the address to Jensen’s apartment.

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	27. Chapter 27

Jensen was tucked up in bed fast asleep when there was a knock on his front door and the sound of someone trying to open the door with a key.  He woke with a start and peered over at his alarm clock which showed him that it was 2.46am. He opened his eyes fully and clambered out of bed, grabbing his bath robe from the back of his chair and wrapping it around him. Looking through the spy hole in the front door, he saw Jared trying to negotiate the key in the lock when he pulled the door open, causing the other man to fly to the ground in a drunken stuppor.

“Hey! Oh crap.  I didn’t mean to wake you up. Oooooppppssssyyy” Jared said in a childlike voice.  He giggled to himself and snorted.

Jensen was far from impressed as he folded his arms across his chest. “Of course I’m awake.  There’s some idiot trying to open my front door, not very quietly. Jeez, have you been drinking.  I can smell you from here” he said as he put a hand over his mouth. “What the hell are you doing here.  It’s nearly 3am.  Did you not think I’d be sleeping? I’m pregnant.  For fuck’s sake Jared, sort yourself out”.

“I came to see my baby daddy.  Hey babies, I love you and your daddy so much” Jared said as he wrapped his arms around Jensen whilst on his knees. “Sssshhh…..are they moving around?”.

The pregnant man pulled away in disgust. “No. They’re at least sleeping. I thought you were in your apartment packing up your things?”.

“I was!” Jared said. “Then we went out….and now I need bed…and maybe a bowl before I hurl….” he said hiccupping.

“Not in here you don’t.  Go home Jared.  Go and sort yourself out, you‘re just making a complete fool of yourself right now.  I don’t want to see you until you’re vertical and don’t smell like a brewery.  The smell is making me nauseous.  Don’t bother coming in to work later unless you’re completely sober.  I’m going back to bed.  I need my sleep, I’m exhausted!” Jensen said as he slammed the door shut.

Jared pulled a face from the other side of the door. “Oops…”.  He got to his feet and dialled a number for a cab to come and pick him up.

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Jared opened his eyes and the first thing he felt was the pounding in his head. The second thing he noticed, was the time on the clock beside him. 10.48am. Crap.  He was late for work.  Then he remembered last night- or rather the early hours of this morning when he turned up at Jensen’s apartment drunk.  He seemed pretty pissed off with him.  Once he showered and shaved quickly, he grabbed a mug of coffee in a carry cup and swallowed down some aspirin, put on one of his better suits, and headed into work.

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Jensen had just finished a conference call to New York when he checked his watch.  It was nearly 12pm and Jared had yet to make an appearance.  To say that he was pissed off with him was an understatement.  He yawned due to the lack of sleep from last night.

There was a tentative knock at the door and the young assistant appeared with a mug of coffee and a brown paper bag. “Muffins?”.

Jensen just ignored him and started to tap away at the keys on his laptop.

“Oh.  I guess I’m in the dog house then, am I?” Jared said, trying for light humour first of all.  When the other man didn’t answer he frowned. “Okay, uh, I’m sorry. Anyway, I got you some muffins?”.

“Muffins? You really think that you can win me over so easily? Really Jared? Turning up at my apartment at 3am blind drunk? This is the man that I thought was so responsible and grown up and is meant to help me raise my babies.  How wrong I was.  You’re still so young and you’re not ready for this level of commitment yet” Jensen said as the fuse blew inside of him.

“I’m sorry! I went out with my best friend for a few drinks, I missed you and wanted to see you.  I was drunk, so what?!” Jared shouted back. “It’s no big deal.. You’ve seen me drunk before…”.

“Look, I can’t stand to be around you right now.  I’ve lined up some work for you to do, should keep you busy for the rest of the day.  As for me, I might leave early this afternoon, catch up on some lost sleep.  I’ll see you tomorrow, 9am sharp” Jensen said as he got to his feet and walked out of the office.

“Fuck!” Jared said as he punched the end of the desk.

He started to type out a message to his best friend.  He needed her help big time.

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The next morning, Jared was lingering around outside his boss’ office door, nervous at what he was about to do.  He hoped that Jensen would sit down long enough and let him say what he had to say.  He could hear Jensen on the other side of the door tapping away at the computer.  He didn’t even bother knocking, just pushed the door open and stepped in, closing it behind him.

Jensen looked up from his desk. “Did you not think to knock?”.

“Come on Jensen, we’re past that stage, don’t you think?” Jared said.  He needed to get out his spiel before he lost his nerve. “I’ve said that I’m sorry, okay? You think your life has changed dramatically? What about mine? This is new to both of us, okay? If I wasn’t serious about you, why would I have asked you to meet my family? Tell them we’re having babies together?  If I wasn’t in this for the long haul then I’d have let you know by now.  I mean, we’re moving in with each other in the next couple of weeks! My family have welcomed you with open arms and consider you one of us now” Jared pointed out.

“Jared….” the executive started to say.

“No, please.  I need to get this out, okay? Hear me out? God, I’ve never done this before. Okay….” the younger man said as he pulled out a little black box from the inside of his pocket and put it down on the desk in front of his boss.

Jensen looked at the box with confusion on his face.  “What’s this?”.

“You’re meant to open it” Jared said as he pushed the box closer with one hand.

“O-kay” Jensen said as he flipped the lid to reveal a silver ring sitting in the middle of a velvet cushion. “Uh, Jared? What’s this? What’s going on here?”.

Before he could say anything else, Jared dropped down on one knee. “This is me proving that I’m serious about you, about us and our girls.  Jensen? Will you marry me?” he said just as the door flew open and Lois walked in.

Jensen’s face went through a range of different emotions but was now fixed on shock. “Jeez! Why the hell don’t people knock my door in this place anymore!”.

Lois saw the ring on the table, and Jared down on one knee and her face too turned into one of complete and utter shock. “Oh God….uh….I’ll…..er….come back….later….er….”.

Jared turned around to face the shocked woman. “Lois, just leave.  This isn’t a good time right now!”.

“Right…..yeah” Lois said, still flabbergasted.

“And shut the door behind you!” Jensen shouted back.

“Oh fuck.  This isn’t how it’s meant to be.  I wanted this moment to be more special.. I’ve thought about it a few times.  This wasn’t one of them incidentely. I know the ring isn’t very fancy, I mean this was all that I could afford.  Apparently there’s a small diamond in there somewhere, you might need a magnifying glass to see it but…you know, if you say yes we can exchange it for a more fancy one if you like….” Jared said, inwardly cursing himself for his ramblings.

“Shut up” Jensen said as he studied the ring. “I think it’s perfect.  I don’t need fancy Jared.  I just need stability.  I need a family.  You’ve given me that….but I need you too…”.

“I know.  Marry me Jensen.  I mean, we don’t have to marry any time soon.  This is just to show you that I want to one day and to show you that I’m serious about all of this, and I’m ready.  This is offering you stability” Jared said as he flinched.  His knee was cramping up big time.

“You can get up off the floor now” Jensen said after a few moments.

Jared looked on helplessly as he got up from the floor slowly.

“And now you can put that ring on my finger” Jensen said, his face turning slowly into a smile.

“Really? Oh my God! Is that…is that a yes? But this was far from romantic…” Jared said as he picked up the ring.

“Ah, we’ll work on it!” Jensen said as he held out his ring finger and smiled as the ring slipped on perfectly around his finger. “It’s gorgeous.  And I can even see the diamond too!”.

“I love you….” Jared said.

“I love you too” Jensen replied.  “Now that I’m less grumpy from being disturbed at 3am”.

“Hhhm, yeah.  But it was a little funny though, right?” Jared asked.

Jensen pursed his lips together and shook his head. “Uh, no! Believe me I was far from amused.  I would have been less so had you thrown up in the hallway.  Please tell me that you didn’t….”.

Jared winced and pulled a face. “No, I made it to the shrubbery outside your building”.

“Classy.  My fiance” Jensen said as he smiled. “Crap, Lois.  I better go and straighten this matter out before she blabs.  That woman could gossip for the whole of California”.

“Do you want me to go?” Jared asked.

The older man smiled. “No, it’s okay.  I want this pleasure.  Just stay up here for the rest of the afternoon.  Trust me.  Oh and I love you” he said as he planted a kiss on the younger man’s lips.

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Lois walked into the coffee room still with her feathers all ruffled.  She was in shock.  Did that mean that Jensen and Jared were together? Oh my God did that mean that Jared was the father of Jensen’s twins?  She was pacing around on the spot, biting her nails debating whether she should just forget what she saw, go back up there and confront the two of them, or just keep quiet.  She couldn’t keep quiet about something like this though.

Brad walked into the coffee room, empty mug in his right hand.  He had come to refill his mug with coffee when he saw the brunette looking all flustered. “Hey Lois.  What’s up?”.

“I…dunno….I mean.  I don’t know if I should say anything…” Lois said as she bit one of her nails ferociously. “I should have knocked on Jensen’s door before entering…but I didn’t expect to walk in and see….that”.

The older man’s eyes lit up and he quickly shut the door to the coffee room. “Shhh.  What did you see Lois?”.

Lois looked at Brad. “Uh…Jared down on one knee, ring on the table, Jensen sat at his desk.  I could hear Jared apologising and stuff”.

“Hhhhmmm.  Interesting turn of events” Brad said as he scratched his chin. “Good for them” he said non-chalantly as he continued to fill up his mug with coffee.

“What? You didn’t even seem to be surprised about the whole thing? O-M-G. Do you know something that I don’t?” Lois asked.

Brad just smiled. “I couldn’t possibly say…”.

“You know something” Lois shouted back as the door opened and Jensen stood in the doorway for a second and then closed the door behind him.

“Hi. Lois, Brad” Jensen said nodding to his employees.

“Lois just told me what she saw in your office just now? Did Jared propose and did you say yes?” Brad asked.

Jensen held up his left hand and showed off the ring on his finger. “Ah Lois, that didn’t take long. Not even 10 minutes I believe.  This is where I could do with your help in fact.  I really can’t be bothered with the whole formal announcement again.  I know people like to speculate and gossip about me, so I thought that you could help me out with this”.

Lois opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, like she was trying to catch flies. “Yes, Mr Ackles, whatever you want”.

“Okay, here goes. I think that you already know that I’m pregnant, and with twins, girls by the way.  I’ve confirmed that already.  Jared is the father, and we are now together. Conception date was the night of the Christmas party.  He’s just proposed to me and I’ve said yes.  Oh and I’ve also bought a new house and Jared is moving in in the next couple of weeks.  I think that’s all for now.  Give him a hard time about it, and I’ll fire you ass, got it? Now I’m giving you the task of personally telling everyone about it all. And don’t skimp on the details.  That’s all” Jensen said coolly. “Oh and now I need to pee, so I’m going to head off to the bathroom. Too much information? Okay” he said as he left the brunette just as shocked.

Brad just laughed.

“You knew all of that?” Lois asked Brad.

“Apart from the proposal…oh and the house, yeah I did.  I caught them kissing.  I think we all need to start knocking on Jensen’s office door from now on.  Who knows what we could walk in on” Brad suggested.

Lois flicked her hair behind her ears. “Oh God…I’m still trying to come to terms that someone had the guts to knock Jensen up. But Jared? Wow, I guess that he really was the dark horse.  Okay, now that I’ve recovered, I guess I’ve got some gossip to spread”.

“Have fun!” Brad said laughing.  He wasn’t getting any more involved in this than he already was.  Rolling his eyes he watched the younger brunette leave the room.

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Jensen finished up in the bathroom and exiting the cubicle he saw Jared by the sink splashing cold water on his face. “Hey”.

“Hey” Jared said giving his boss a dashing smile.  He moved aside so that Jensen could have access to the sink to wash his hands.

“So, this proposal of yours.  You said that you a few ideas before this.  Seeing as it’s done now, can you tell me what you had in mind?” the executive asked as he grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser and dried his hands.

Jared blushed. “Well, I can show you if you like.  Not now though.  I’ll take you later on.  It needs to be dark.  After the sun is set”.

“Hhhm.  Well now I’m intrigued and you have my full attention on this” Jensen said.

“So, Lois…” Jared said worriedly.

“It’s okay.  She’s on the case.  I told her everything about the babies, about us.  The proposal.  She should be spreading it around as we speak.  The whole office will know by the end of the day.  You have my word that people aren’t going to give you a hard time. I’m the boss.  I hired them, I can fire them”.

“God, no, there’s no need to do that.  I can fight my own battles.  I’m a big boy you know” Jared said defensively.

Jensen smirked. “Yeah you are…….” he said looking down at Jared’s crotch.

Jared scoffed. “No, I mean….you know….fine.  I’ll meet you at 8pm.  For your, you know, proposal…”.

“Well, I look forward to that Mr Padalecki.  And I promise to be surprised. And say yes” the older man said.

“Well, I’m glad to hear it.  Okay, I’m going to go down and er….face the music.  No time like the present. You okay?” Jared said.

Jensen fingered the ring on his finger and smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.  I’m more than okay.  And don’t take any crap from those guys…”.

“Yes boss” Jared said as he saluted and started to walk away.

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“God, Jared and Jensen? Shit man…talk about sly!” Mike said.

“Got balls more like!” Tom said.

Lois and Brad were sat on opposite sides of the table just looking at each other sheepishly.

“I can’t believe we missed all the signs on this.  Of course, the two of them both disappeared half way through the Christmas party.  I thought it was strange that Jared had a bad tummy from the food and that’s why he left.  How did we not notice!” Mike said in exasperation.

“Do you think that they’ve been doing it the whole time? In Jensen’s office? Ew, on this couch in here? Gross!” Tom said as he eyed up the plush couch in the corner.

“Nope.  You’re okay there guys.  The couch is clean” Jared said as he strolled into the coffee room and helped himself to a fresh cup of coffee and took a sip. “Mmm. This is pretty good today”.

Everyone in the room turned around and looked at the young assistant.

“Jared….uh….we didn’t mean….” Tom started to say as he backtracked.

“We’re just surprised is all…” Mike said. “No hard feelings, yeah?”.

Jared paced around the room, sipping casually at his cup of coffee. “I would have been shocked too, I mean if someone had told me this 6 months ago.  It’s understandable.  We never planned this to happen…I hope we can still be friends….”.

Mike got to his feet. “Yeah, sure bud.  It’s just going to take some getting used to that’s all.  But as long as the two of you are happy….you know…that’s cool”.

“Seriously Jayman, we’re cool, okay?” Tom re-iterated. “How about some drinks later, after work.  It’s been well overdue.

“I can’t…..I mean, I’d love to, just not tonight.  How about tomorrow?” Jared suggested.

“Tomorrow night it is bud” Mike said casually.

Jared relaxed properly for the first time in a long while. “Yeah, I can’t wait.  I am sorry that I couldn’t tell you guys before but….you know.  Jensen likes to keep his private life just that….private…”.

“Jay?” Tom said as he put an arm casually around his work colleague, “It’s totally cool man, okay?”.

“Okay, great.  And believe me, just because me and Jensen are involved with each other, doesn’t mean that he’s going easy on me.  Quite the opposite.  You should see what he’s got lined up for me today!”.

Brad smiled. “Yeah, sorry, I saw the itinerary.  Sucks…”.

“Yeah” Jared laughed. “I tell you what, I’ll sort out the venue for tomorrow night, and let you all know tomorrow morning, depends where I can book on short notice”.

“First round is on you” Mike said playfully.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head Jared said “Yeah, figures.  I better get going, I’ve got to get to other side of the city in 30 mins.  What do you think? Bus? Walk?”.

“Run Jayman, run like the wind!” Tom said amusedly as Jared’s face was a picture.

 

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	28. Chapter 28

Jensen was sat in the passenger seat of the Porsche whilst Jared was in the driver’s seat. The ignition was turned off and they were currently sat in the car overlooking the Harbour all brightly lit up and with an amazing view of the San Francisco bridge.  The small beach down below was illuminated by the moon and the white tips of the waves were seen crashing onto the shore below them.  It was nothing short of perfect.

“Jared? Why do you look so nervous? I already know why we’re here, so please try and relax, okay?” Jensen said as he put his hand on his assistant’s knee, the silver ring glistening in the moonlight.

“I know, but it’s just so perfect, this was exactly where and when I wanted it to happen you know?” the younger man said sadly.

Looking at the ring on his finger, Jensen removed it and handed it over to the other man. “Okay then…..let’s start over then shall we?”.

Inhaling and then exhaling slowly, Jared took a moment to compose himself. “Well it’s fairly simple, I want to be an amazing father to our girls and I want to be the best husband possible to you…..so will you do me the greatest honour in becoming my husband….”

Jensen smiled and shifted a few inches closer to the other man and grazed his cheek with his finger and then planted a kiss on his cheek. “I will.  And you will be an amazing father to the girls and when the time comes, you’re going to be an incredible husband too”.

Jared nodded his head and then carefully slid the ring back on his boss’ ring finger and re-payed the kiss, lingering longer than the first one, deepening it.  “We’re going to be great”.

“Yeah…..we are” Jensen said as he rubbed at his stomach which had just started rumbling.

“Hungry?” the young assistant asked.

“Yeah.  But this view is amazing and I don’t wanna leave for a while” Jensen said.

“Just as well I bought snacks then!” Jared said as he produced a grocery bag seemingly from nowhere.  “I wasn’t sure what you’d fancy, so we got a fruit salad, flapjack, and a wholemeal bagle with low fat cream cheese”.

“Hhhmm, all healthy stuff then? Any chance that you’ve got something smothered in chocolate in there?” the pregnant man quipped.

Jared shook his head. “You need to start eating healthier, I’m looking after you.  Try the fruit first and then if you still want chocolate then we’ll hook you up later on”.

Jensen reluctantly took the bowl of fruit salad out of the bag and started to tuck in. “Actually, this is pretty good….and healthy…thank you…”.

“No worries……my fiance..” Jared said with the biggest smile on his face.

“I like the sound of that Mr Padalecki….” the older man said.

“Ackles-Padalecki?” Jared suggested.

Nodding, Jensen smiled and rested his head on his new fiance’s shoulder.

 

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The smitten newly engaged couple were sat in a bar the next night as they awaited the arrival of Tom, Brad and Mike as scheduled.  They were deep in conversation when the trio of guys turned up.

“Hey” Tom said as he approached the table, slightly surprised to see Jensen sitting next to Jared.

“Evening” Jared said, signalling for the guys to sit down. He signalled to the waitress and quickly ordered a round of beers for them.

“Well, I’ll leave you all to it” Jensen said as he got to his feet.

“Are you not going to join us?” Brad asked his boss. “You’re invited too, you know!”.

Jensen was dressed down in chinos and a beige sweater, something that his employees weren’t used to seeing him in. “No, I’ve got a date with the couch.  I’m exhausted.  I got my beef taco’s to go and a nice warm bed.  Besides you don’t really want your fat, pregnant boss cramping your style.  Enjoy, and put everything on my tab okay? Oh and the taco’s here are really something special”.

The four men smiled back at their boss.

Jared stood up to say goodbye and went to kiss his fiance before stopping when he realised that they weren’t alone.

“It’s okay, we know you’re together you know?!” Mike said.

Jensen kissed Jared on the lips. “I’ll see you at home later.  Enjoy yourselves guys”.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little while?” Jared asked his fiance.

“No, I’m ready to drop, I just need to sleep” the pregnant man said.

Jared’s face looked torn. “Are you okay? Do you want me to come home with you?”.

Shaking his head insistently, Jensen scoffed. “I’m just a little sleepy that’s all Jared.  One of the little joys of being pregnant I guess. Now quit fussing and get drinking okay!”.

“Yes boss” Jared said as he watched his boss saunter off.  He sat back down with his work colleagues and joined in their conversation with the first round of drinks.

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Although Jensen had given Jared carte blanche to drink and stay out as late as he wanted to, to mend any tension and rifts between him and his colleagues, the younger man only managed a few beers before he wanted to call it a night and go back home to his fiance.  He opened the door to Jensen’s apartment and crept in as not to wake him up if he was sleeping.

Jared found Jensen on the couch, sleeping, a blanket half draped over him and a book open by the side of him.  Despite the fact that he was asleep, he didn’t look like he was particularly comfortable.

“Jensen, hey baby, wake up” Jared whispered as he stroked his fingers through the other man’s hair. “You can’t sleep on the couch, let’s get you to bed and more comfy, eh?”.

Jensen’s eyes flitted open and he smiled and then let out a yawn. “Hey” he said looking at his watch. “You’re home early.  And….you’re not drunk….”.

“No, I missed you.  All of you” the younger man said as he put his hands on the pregnant man’s stomach.

“Did you have a good time?” Jensen asked as he sat up slowly.

“Yeah.  The guys are cool with us, I mean, really cool, there’s no hard feelings what-so-ever.  No more hiding, no more secrets….” Jared said.

Jensen winced. “Hhmm….apart from my parents.  I cut them off financially today.  No more payments.  I wonder how long it will be before they come crawling to me asking why.  I’ve drawn up all the contracts with my lawyer so…”.  He exhaled slowly.

“Hey, it’s okay.  I’m going to be with you every step of the way.  There’s no way your parents are going to take the business away from you.  You’ve got a top lawyer on the case, right?” Jared said soothingly.

“The best” Jensen confirmed.

Nodding, Jared smiled. “There we are, no more worrying then.  Let’s get you to bed, tuck you up, get some proper sleep, okay? I want my girls to grow nice and big and strong”.

The pregnant man laughed. “I think they are definitely going that way, look at me and I’m only halfway through!”.  He paused to rub his eyes as he got up from the couch and started towards the kitchen when the other man stopped him.

“What can I get you?” Jared asked his new fiance.

“A glass of milk, really cold straight from the fridge” Jensen said.

“Get to bed and I’ll bring it in for you” the younger man said.

“Do you know how awesome you are?” the executive said.  When the other man looked confused as he poured a glass of milk, Jensen shook his head. “No, I don’t mean for getting me a glass of milk.  I mean, for  everything.  I just wanted you to know that”.

Jared shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he handed the glass of milk over. “It’s only because you make me awesome.  I can’t be awesome without you!  I’ll just feed Lucy and I’ll catch you up” he said bending down to make a fuss of the cat miawing between his legs and laying down her food in her bowl and then headed off to bed.

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Jared was in his and Chloe’s apartment, finishing off packing their boxes.  Jensen had been given the date and was picking up the keys in a week or so and he was keen to start settling in as soon as possible.

Jared had found an old CD on the shelf and had it on play, volume cranked all the way up.  Him and Chloe were dancing along to ‘Safety Dance’ when Jensen appeared in the doorway watching them amusedly.  He was dressed in a white linen shirt and beige chinos.  He folded his arms across his chest.

Dancing and singing along to the lyrics, Jared spun around on his heels and halted when he saw his new fiance standing in the doorway.

“The door was open….” the executive said, grazing his left hand under the swell of his stomach.

Chloe laughed and turned the CD off. “Sorry….reminiscing I guess.  Jay, you’re still such a dork, you know? Your dancing leaves a lot to be desired! Do you want something to drink Jensen?”.

Jensen walked into the lounge and sat down on the couch. “Yes please.  As long as it’s cold, I’m not fussy what it is”.

Nodding, Chloe headed off to the kitchen.

“You okay?” Jared asked as he sat down next to Jensen and gave him a kiss on the lips.

“Yeah, I was just wondering if you needed any help with the packing” the pregnant man asked as he bent down to pick up a photo album from the floor.

“Careful Jensen, you shouldn’t be bending over like that” Jared chastised as he watched the other man wince awkwardly.

“It’s fine Jared.  Besides, I almost forgot that this is now getting in the way making it harder for me to do stuff.  If you pass me stuff then I can put them in the box up on the couch here?” Jensen asked, his little face showing that he wanted to help.

Jared rolled his eyes, giving in. “Okay, well that album can go in……this box here” he said as he grabbed an empty box from the floor and putting it right next to his boss for easy access.

Jensen nodded and went to put it into the box when he flipped open one of the pages.  It was a picture of Jared and Chloe, dating back several years, both of them looking very young indeed.  Jared’s hair was wild, long and wavy, going with the whole 90’s boy band look.  He couldn’t help but laugh. “Really?”.

Chloe came back in and handed the older man a glass of orange juice with ice. “Oh yeah, those were the days.  Your dancing may not have improved, but thank God you’ve changed your hairstyle”.

“Thank you Chloe” Jensen said as he took a sip from the glass and put it down on the coaster on the table in front of him. Yeah, that hairstyle….I mean….there are no words for that”.

Jared’s eyes narrowed and he put on a full pout and retrieved the album from his boss’ grip. “Okay, laugh it up guys.  I was the height of fashion back then.  Super cool”.

“Or so he thought” Chloe said quietly to which she received a punch to her arm by her best friend.

Jensen laughed again until he suddenly clasped his hands over his stomach. “Oooh. That was the biggest one yet. Wow…”.  On seeing his fiance and his best friend’s faces he smiled. “Do you want to see if you can try and feel? I think it’s still a bit early, but go for it…”.

Chloe and Jared both put a hand on the pregnant man’s stomach.

“I can’t feel anything….” the blonde said.

“Trust me, there’s some serious movement going on in there right now.  Maybe another few weeks and you should be able to feel” Jensen said.

“What does it feel like?” Chloe asked.

“Well….I don’t know really.  At first, it was like little flutters, barely there, I wasn’t even sure what it was at first.  And now the past couple of weeks, it’s been more like little kicks.  That one definitely felt like a foot or a hand” Jensen said pensively.

“Well, there’s four of each so take your pick!” Jared said.

Jensen paled slightly at the thought. “Yeah, I guess there is”.

“And they should each be about a pound in weight each and 11 inches long!” Jared said as he remembered a page he read in a book the other day on 22 weeks.

Jensen slowly moved his hands away from each other until they came to about 11 inches apart.  He blew out a breath. “This is insane, you know how fast they are growing. I put in the order for the furniture earlier.  They should be here in 6-8 weeks.  I just need to sort out getting a new car now.  I’ve seem some nice SUV’s.  It’s going to need to be bomb proof, nice and safe for the girls”.

“Awesome, can we get tinted windows?” the younger man asked.

“Tinted windows?” Jensen checked.

“Yeah, that’s what rich people have, right?” Jared asked, innocently.

Jensen just laughed. “What makes you think that?”.

“In all the films and glossy magazines.  Well….I…I think it would be cool anyway” the younger man said.

“If you want tinted windows, we’ll get tinted windows” Jensen said. “Anyway, I’m holding you guys up I guess.  I had better get going” he said as he made to get up from the couch when suddenly he felt dizzy and fell backwards back onto the couch.

“Jensen!” Jared said as he came to his fiance’s aid. “You okay?”.

The pregnant man put his hand over his head and squinted his eyes. “Yeah, I just got a little dizzy when I tried to stand up”.

Chloe ran to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water and helped Jensen take a sip from it. “Better?”.

Exhaling slowly Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah.  Okay…let’s try again, shall we?” he said as he went to stand back up when his assistant went to stop him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea do you? You could have fainted and fallen over or something.  I think we should take you to see Dr Lane….” Jared argued.

“Jared? I kinda think that it’s okay I’m a little dizzy when I stand up from time to time.  My heart is trying to pump blood around my body for 3 people here.  Give it a chance will you?” the pregnant man said insistently.

Jared sighed. “Okay….fine…..but at least lets get your legs up on the table for a bit, make sure you’re okay.  20 mins?” he said compromising.  When his boss and fiance looked like he was about to protest, he smirked. “I think I may have some more incriminating photos of myself in these boxes if you’re interested.

Jensen raised his legs on the table in front of him and repositioned the cushions behind his back and got comfortable. “Well….I guess I could check them out!”.

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	29. Chapter 29

Jensen was in his office with the interior designer that he had hired to do up the house for him.  They were discussing plans for designs and themes that he had in mind.

“Louise…you did such a great job with the apartment, I just, I don’t know.  Work your magic I guess.  I want the kitchen fairly neutral I think, creams and silvers, maybe a splash of red for colour.  For the master bedroom I though maybe plum on one wall? I trust you whole heartedly.  The place is all in white and beige as it is so it’s like a blank canvas for you.  I pick up the keys in a few days so I’ll get a copy cut for you” the executive said. “The babies’ room is going to be girly.  But not overly pink and purple”.

Louise nodded her head as she took down some notes in her notepad. “Okay, well, I’ll draw up some ideas this week and then once you get the keys to the house, I’ll come round and have a look to get a better idea of wall size and space”.

The door knocked and Jared entered.

“Hey Jared.  Jared, this is Louise, the interior designer I’ve hired, Louise, this is my fiance Jared” the older man said as he introduced them to each other.

Jared’s eyes lit up. “Wow, okay”.

“She’s a miracle worker, she’s going to do the house top to bottom, her and her team.  I’m so excited to see what she comes up with for the babies’ room!” Jensen said excitedly.

The younger man’s face fell. “Oh….”.

“What’s wrong?” Jensen asked.

“Nothing” Jared said, his tone of voice giving it away that he was annoyed about something.

Jensen got to his feet. “Louise, can you excuse us for two minutes please?” he asked the designer as he tugged at Jared’s sleeve and pulled him outside to the corridor. “Problem?”.

“No….she seems lovely.  Great” Jared said, still pouting.

“Then why the long face Jared?” the pregnant man said as he folded his arms across his chest trying to find somewhere to put them above his burgeoning stomach.

“Well….I just thought…I mean…I wanted to…be the one to do the babies’ room.  I want to do something for the girls, for you.  You’re carrying them for 9 months, I figured the least I could do was to decorate the nursery and put the furniture up and stuff.  I want to be as involved as I can.  I mean, I probably won’t do as good a job as Louise, but I’ll try….I want to…..” Jared said sulkily.

Jensen cupped his hands around his lover’s face and kissed him on the forehead. “Of course you can decorate the nursery, silly.  I just assumed you’d be too busy, or it would be too much of a burden”.

“Nothing is going to be too much for you or the girls. I already had some ideas in my head, I’ve seen some things”.

“Yeah?” Jensen asked curiously. “What did you have in mind?”.

Jared shrugged his shoulders. “It was just an idea….I mean, if you don’t like it….”.

“Come on Jared, do I have to beat it out of you or what?” the pregnant executive asked.

Sighing, Jared looked at the floor and then up at his fiance. “I thought a woodland theme.  Subtle greens for the colours.  I thought it would go well with the cribs we’ve chosen.  And then, maybe Louise could paint some animals on the walls? Woodland animals….I mean it was just an idea…..”.

The older man’s face started to beam with a massive smile. “I like it…I mean I love it! You can do it, what you want and then you can dictate to Louise what you want her to do.  Why don’t you go in and have a word with her about what animals and murals you want painted on the wall and she’ll sketch out some ideas.  She’s excellent…”.

“Really? You like it?” Jared asked as he fingered his shirt, twisting it around with a finger.

“Absolutely! I think the girls will love it! We can use one of the other rooms as a playroom for them when they’re older. That can be all pink and glittery, what do you think?” Jensen suggested.

Jared smiled and nodded. “Yeah, God, the house is starting to feel more real now.  It’s happening….”.

Jensen put a hand on his stomach. “Yeah, it’s happening alright”.

“So, shall we head back in and brainstorm with Louise?” the younger man asked excitedly.

“After you….” the pregnant man gestured to the door and smiled at his new fiance’s enthusiasm.

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 The sun was shining and the temperature was starting to heat up for the summer.  Jensen had decided that he needed some fresh air and to get out of the confines of his office.  Jared had decided to go with him for a stroll through a little park.

Jensen was wearing a short sleeved casual linen shirt as he found his smart shirts and jacket too hot and too restricting on his advancing condition.

The couple found a park bench and sat down on it as they watched children run around with their parents.

The pregnant executive smiled. “That’s going to be us soon…”.

Exhaling loudly Jared nodded. “Yeah….sooner than we realise…few more months….”.

Jensen closed his eyes and felt the sun on his face as he imagined what the girls would look like.  He imagined curls and freckles and dazzling eyes.  In the distance he could see a man on a bike pedalling towards them with an ice-cream cart trailing along behind him until he stopped a couple of metres in front of them.

The ice-cream man smiled and asked the couple if they wanted anything.  Jared shook his head and declined but Jensen peered into the cart to take a look. “What have you got?”.

“Er….ice-cream…vanilla, strawberry etcetera, popsicles….”.

“Strawberry popsicles?” Jensen asked hopefully.

“Yes” the ice-cream man said as he pulled one out the freezer cart and handed it over.

Jensen handed over a ten dollar note for the two dollar popsicle and told him to keep the change.  The man looked elated as he pedalled off in pursuit of another potential customer.  Opening up the popsicle, the pregnant man licked and sucked at the ice cold lolly and felt it instantly cool down his mouth. “Mmmm…..” this is so damn good. Just what I need on a hot day like this!”.

Jared watched as his fiance devoured the popsicle.

“I wonder what other flavours they come in” Jensen pondered as he swirled the stick around in his hand and looked at the empty stick in disappointment”.

“Orange? Raspberry? Maybe lime?” the younger man suggested.

“Hhhmm…..I could do with another one” Jensen said hopefully as he looked at the other man. “He’s getting quite far away from us now though…and you know…if I could run….but I can’t….”.

Jared raised his eyebrows. “You want me to go?”.

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Jensen kissed his fiance. “One of each of the other flavours.  I wanna try them all!”.

“Well….I guess they are healthier than pastries or cheese.  Plus you’re keeping yourself hydrated.  I’ll be back” Jared said as he leapt up off the bench.

Jensen watched his fiance run over to the ice-cream cart as he watched the children play.  He laid his hands over his stomach and felt the babies kick him hard- harder than he had felt before.  When Jared appeared a minute or so later he grabbed the handful of popsicles and put them to one side and moved his hands onto his stomach. “Wait….”.

“For what? Are they moving?” Jared asked excitedly.

“Oh yes.  This was really hard this time! I think you might be able to feel it now.  Wait….” Jensen said as he pressed the younger man’s hands into his stomach.

Jared was about to give up when he felt something bump against the palms of his hands. “Oh my God! I felt it…I felt something….amazing”.

“You did?” Jensen asked elatedly.

“Yup….Holy Crap” Jared said.

“Hey!” Jensen whispered. “Little ears here……sssshhhh….”.

“Sorry…” Jared said as he took his hands off when the movements had stopped. “Anyway, I got you another Strawberry one and a Raspberry and Orange.  I think you may need to eat them quick before they melt in this heat though”.

“I’m on it” the pregnant man said as he opened the first packet and was already halfway through before the other man could even apprehend what was going on.

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Jared walked into his boss’ office a couple of days later to find some workmen in there, installing what looked like a freezer.  He looked at the pregnant man who was sat at his desk, sucking a popsicle. “Jensen?”.

The executive looked up from his computer and smiled when he saw his fiance. “Hey…..”.  He saw the other man looking rather confused at what was going on in front of him. “I’m having a freezer installed”.

“O-kay…..I’ve seen stranger things I suppose”  the younger man said, with an amused look on his face.

“What? Oh come on, it’s like a hundred degrees in this damn city and I’m carrying around what feels like a menagerie of animals inside me so I’m hot and damn grumpy and I’m in love with popsicles right now.  This is my fifth one this morning already.  So, go ahead and judge me!” the pregnant man said as he pushed himself up from his seat.

Jared threw his hands up in the air. “I’m not judging you.  It’s just….a little strange.  Are you going to be chowing down on popsicles during your conference call later?”.

Jensen pulled the lolly out of his mouth and thought for a moment. “Hhmm….maybe not.  Do you want one? I’ve got a selection in the freezer”.

“No, it’s okay.  I won’t deprive you.  Anyway, Mr Bertolli is downstairs for you, do you want me to bring him up? You really getting the ball rolling with the lawsuit for your parents?” Jared asked worriedly.

“Of course.  Except I’m paying that man an incredible amount of money to do it all for me.  I just need to sign on the dotted line.  No stress for me!” Jensen said. “I love being rich!” he said as he leant back in his chair and sucked on the lolly some more.

Jared laughed and shook his head. “You are too damn cute, you know? Are we still going to the car dealership on Friday? I’ve seen some awesome SUV’s!”.

“Yeah, sure.  I’m glad you know what we’re looking for because I don’t have a clue.  I could probably tell you the ins and outs of my Porsche…..but other than that….” the executive admitted.

“No worries.  I’ve done some research, swatted up on safety records and stuff and which ones are best for car seats” Jared said. “Anyway, I’ll bring Mr Bertolli up, he seemed quite anxious and pushed for time”.

“I don’t know why, I’m paying him by the second!” Jensen huffed.  He thanked the workmen who said that they had finished and quickly scribbled out a cheque before the prestigious lawyer entered and they got down to business.

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It had been a tedious couple of hours, trying and testing out several vehicles much to Jared’s delight.  He had nearly passed out when he saw the prices of the cars they were looking at but realised that he wasn’t paying for it, Jensen was.  Jared had voiced his opinions on the cars that he had read up on and the ones with the best safety records and the salesman took it into account.  He also added his desire to have tinted windows added as an extra to which Jensen agreed.

Jensen studied the SUV and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, this one’s fine.  I mean, there’s more than enough room for car seats in the back and enough trunk space for all the stuff we’re going to need to put in there….and if it‘s safe..”.

The salesman nodded his head. “Excellent choice sir….a perfect soccer mom car…”.

The pregnant man put one hand on his hip. “Excuse me?”.

“Well, you know roomy and great for families and children” the salesman continued, obvious to Jensen’s impending outburst.

“Yeah, we’ll take it!” Jared said as he put an arm on his fiance’s shoulder to placate him.  He had sensed that the pregnant man had had enough a long while ago.

Smiling, the salesman led the couple into the office to find the relevant paperwork. “Okay, so I’m assuming that you’re going to want to part-ex the Porsche to pay for the car, right sir?” he assumed as he looked at Jensen.

“What? Is this guy actually fucking kidding me?” Jensen ranted as he turned away from the rep and looked at Jared before turning back to confront the other man. “Does it look like I’m on a budget here? I can buy the damn car with cash in hand if you prefer! Seriously….I earn in an hour more than you earn in a year….”.  He was exhausted after a busy and stressful week and just wanted a hot bath and to put his aching feet up on the couch.

The salesman looked shocked and was speechless as he looked at the pregnant man.

Jared quickly diverted Jensen away from the office and pulled him outside as he uttered an ‘Excuse me for a moment’.

“What?! What a douche bag!” Jensen said as he pulled away from Jared.

“He’s just trying to close the sale.  Be nice will you! Jeez, did you get a fresh batch of bitch hormones today or something?” Jared said. “Crappy hor-”.

Jensen scoffed. “Don’t even say it! I’m sorry that I’m being ‘grumpy’ or whatever, but I think I’m entitled to, don’t you? That guy was an ass, thinking he’s so damn smug, big shot just sold me a damn car.  Big woo-hoo!”.

“I think that you need to go cool off for a few minutes Jensen” the younger man said sternly.

“Cool off? Yeah, that would be great, I can only wish.  It’s the hottest day of the year so far, I’m knocking back liquids like I used to do with whiskey, my back hurts, my feet are swollen and I have to pee and the girls don’t help my bladder, so just give me a break!” Jensen said sighing as he opened up the bottle of water and knocked some of it back. “Okay…lets go and pay for the car and get the hell outta here”.

“Better now?” Jared asked. “I promise you, we’ll stop off and get you some popsicles on the way home, okay?  Just give that guy a break…..”.

Jensen folded his arms awkwardly across his chest and then repositioned them as he failed miserably. In the end, he just put his arms down by his side. “Fine….but if he mentions soccer moms, or anything of the sort again, I’ll punch him in his spotty face! Cheap suit too!”.

Jared smiled nervously. “Fine!”.

The two men trudged along back into the office, where the young salesmen waited nervously for them to come back.

“Is American Express okay for you?” Jensen asked through gritted teeth as he pulled out his wallet from pants pocket.

“Perfect Mr…..Ackles” the young salesman said as he read the name off the card. “It is a great car.  It should be ready for pickup in a couple of weeks” he said as the transaction went through and he handed back the card to the older man.

Jared smiled excitedly. “Great, thank you very much for your patience.  We’ll see  you then”.  Once the salesman had handed over the paperwork and left them to it, he turned his attention to his grumpy fiance. “Ready?”.

Jensen just nodded his head sulkily.

“Would you like me to drive?” Jared asked as he put an arm around the other man.

“Yeah…okay….thank you” Jensen said. “I’m sorry, I know that I was out of line.  I don’t know what came over me.  Sorry…”.

“You’re carrying my babies, so you have nothing to be sorry about, okay? And come on, that guy has just made a nice amount of commission there from the sale of the car so I don’t feel too bad for him!” the younger man said amusedly.

“I’m just really tired that’s all. It’s been a long week, what with the lawyer, the designs for the house, buying a new car…my life is changing rapidly by the day” Jensen admitted, “And it’s scary”. When he saw the other man’s disheartened look on his face, he shook his head. “No, but in a good way, a really good way”.

 

Jared put an arm around his fiance and pulled him in close. “I know.  How about we go back to yours, and I’ll run you a nice hot bath, lots of bubbles, scented candles, the whole hog and I’ll cook us some dinner.  I really fancy making some Texan style chilli, my mom‘s recipe…”.

Jensen sighed and then groaned at the thought of being able to lie in a hot bath and take the weight off his feet. “I would like nothing more than that right now. The chilli sounds good too” he said as he held out his car keys.

Jared smiled and took the car keys from his tired fiance’s hand.

The journey back to the executive’s apartment was spent in relative silence.  Once inside the roomy condo, Jensen flopped down onto the couch and Jared headed into the bathroom and started to run the taps and fill up the bath.

“The bath is running, I’ll get started on cooking the chilli” the younger man said.

Jensen toed off his shoes and put them neatly next to one another alongside the couch. Usually he would have taken them off by the front door but he was too tired to care tonight, he would move them later.  He had a stack of mail to open and he started on the first one. “Sounds amazing, thank you for this”.

“It’s no worries” Jared said as he clattered around the kitchen to locate some pots and pans and the ingredients needed to make his mom’s chilli recipe.

After several junk mail letters, and requests for money from various charities and companies, the executive tore open an envelope from a familiar name.  It was from the homeless shelter that he helped out with from time to time. “Can you make cakes?”.

Jared turned around and looked at his fiance. “Er, yeah, I guess so, do you want cake too?”.

“No.  I mean…I want to make cakes for a bake sale” Jensen said.  When the other man looked confused and quirked an eyebrow, he continued. “I’m an ambassador for a homeless shelter downtown.  My finances keep the shelter open and its run by volunteers.  I go down there once a year, usually at Christmas to help out in the soup kitchen, show my face.  I think its quite nice to see where and how my money goes to help people. They are having a bake sale next week, like they do every year.  I usually just get some cakes delivered to them from one of the local bakeries so they can sell.  But…I don’t know, I want to be more involved this year, I guess being pregnant is making me go soft in the head.  I want to bake myself, I just…..don’t know how.  I mean, I’ve never tried”.

The younger man’s interest had peaked and he walked over to his boss. “Wow, another layer of Mr Ackles peeled back and laid bare. A charitable man too.  I’ve made cakes for bake sales before.  I can show you how and give you a hand.  How about cupcakes?”.

“That sounds perfect”. Jensen sighed and leant back into the couch a picked up one of the flyers that had been posted through with the mail.  It was for a children’s charity.  He felt the babies shift slightly and he put his hands across his stomach as he looked at the flyer sadly.

Jared picked up on what the other man was thinking. “You can’t help everyone Jensen” he said as went back to chopping up chilli’s and peppers.

“But maybe I can.  I mean, without bragging, I have more money than I know what to do with.  And our girls aren’t going to want for anything.  I mean, there’s children out there right now living on the streets, living in extreme poverty.  It’s just not right in this day and age.  Maybe I should start up a children’s charity too.  I’ve got the money and resources so why the hell not?” Jensen said as he got up off the couch and headed into the bathroom to check on the progress of the bathtub.  He turned the taps off and headed back into the kitchen to check on dinner’s progress.

“Well, if that’s what you want, I’ll be more than happy to assist you of course.  But just don’t be taking on too much.  You have enough going on right now and you need to start thinking about slowing down.  You’re over halfway through this pregnancy already. Is the bath done?” Jared asked as he stirred the meat in a pan and added in the other ingredients.

“Yeah.  I’m going to go and soak in the tub.  Unless you need a hand here?” the pregnant man asked as he peered into the pan. “Smells good already..”.

“No, it’s all good.  Just need to let this simmer for a bit that’s all. It can just be left to cook on its own.  So take as long as you need to in the bath.  I put some muscle relaxant lavender bath oil in there” the younger man said as he put the lid on the pan and wiped his hands on a dish cloth.

Nodding his head and rubbing his back and stomach simultaneously, Jensen walked towards the bathroom. “You know, even with my massive belly right now, there’s lots of room in the tub.  Room enough for at least two people, just saying” he said with a smirk on his face.

Jared nearly dropped the spoon he was holding. “Er, well you’ll need a hand to get in and out, right?”.

Jensen smiled coyly and bit down on his bottom lip. “Absolutely. Hhmm, I reckon you’ll look good covered in bubbles and taste pretty tantalising too”.  He teasingly swaggered over to the bathroom as he popped open the first few buttons on his white shirt.

Jared closed his mouth which was agape with shock and lust and walked over to his boss, and gently pushed him back through the open door undoing the rest of the buttons on Jensen’s shirt. “You are such a tease Mr Ackles”.

“Hhhmm. Well, this may be the last time that the bath here gets used by us.  We pick up the keys to the house next week.  And the tub there is even bigger and I think it even has a Jacuzzi function too” the executive purred.

“Oh God” Jared said hungrily as he pressed his mouth against the other man’s lips.  The cat came to the door and he gently closed it before she could come in. “Sorry Lucy, adult time!”.

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	30. Chapter 30

Jensen was on a conference call to a potential client in Brazil.  The guy’s accent was barely understandable and he was having difficulty in keeping up with things.  It was going on two hours now and no sign of ending anytime soon.

“Mr Santos?” the bored executive tried to intercept to no avail.

The Brazilian man kept rambling on and on.

“If you just let me…..” Jensen tried again.  The babies were particularly active right now and seemed to be jumping up and down.  He was thirsty, tired and hungry and getting increasingly pissed off.  His finger hovered over the ‘disconnect’ button but knew that he had to keep this man sweet because it would be a massive million dollar deal if things went through.  His back was protesting it’s position sitting down in his chair too.  He was getting too pregnant to be stuck in this position.  The door to his office opened precariously and his assistant appeared.

Jared pulled an apologetic face when he saw his boss was on a call and went to shut the door when Jensen ushered him in. 

Jensen scribbled something on a piece of paper for his assistant to see. It read; ‘This guy won’t shut the hell up!’.

The young assistant tried to stifle a laugh when he read it.  Luckily he was out of view of the camera on the computer.  He quickly scribbled something back. ‘Anything I can get you?’.

Trying to discreetly read and reply to the note, Jensen maintained eye contact with the prospective client even though he doubted he wouldn’t even notice if he slunk off for a few minutes because he clearly loved the sound of his own voice and was probably checking himself out on the screen of his own computer. ‘Make him shut the hell up?! Failing that, some cold water and a bagel’. He then quickly added an addendum. ‘Make that a small glass of water, I could be stuck here for a while’.

Jared smiled and nodded his head. He drew some doodles which made his boss smile and then wrote a reply. ‘No worries, I’ll run down to the deli to get you that cheese and pesto bagel you like and if he’s still blabbering on by the time I get back I’ll make sure he hangs the hell up’.

Jensen was too distracted to realise that the Brazilian was calling his name.

“Meester Ackeels?”.

“Mr Santos” the executive said as he leant back in his chair to relieve some of the ache in his back. “So, is that a deal then?”.

 

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Jared had kept to his word and appeared with his boss’ bagel and water 15 minutes later.  He opened the office door as quiet as he could as not to disturb Jensen if he was still on his call.  He relaxed somewhat when he saw Jensen sat at his desk, hands pressed into his face. “All done?”.

Jensen looked up and smiled and got up from his chair. “Yeah!” he said exasperatedly.

“Dare I ask? Did he deal?” the assistant said as he put the deli bag down on the desk.

“Er, well, long story short, yes. Had to do some ass-sucking but I got it.  Contracts are in the post. Two hours 18 minutes and I think 23 seconds of my life that I’ll never get back. God I’m starved” the pregnant man said as he opened up the bag and took a bite from the bagel before even really looking at it. “Mmmmm thank you!”.

“No worries. If I’d have known you were stuck here I would have come to save you sooner.  I was sorting out those radio commercials for that new restaurant” Jared said coolly as he leant against the corner of the desk. “Next time keep your cell phone with you and send me a text”.

The executive wiped his mouth with a napkin and felt around in his jacket pocket and then blushed as he pulled out his cell. “Oh….you mean this cell phone? Ooops! Um, baby brain?”.

Jared laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. Oh, you wanted me to come up with some ideas for names, for your Children’s Charity, Mr Ambassador.  It’s just a few ideas for you to look through when you get a chance”.  He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, smoothed it out and put it on the desk.

Jensen folded his arms across his chest and scrolled down the list until he became fixated on one of them. “J and J’s Help for Children?”.

“Oh, yeah, that one was, just scrap that one!” the younger man said embarrassedly.

“Scrap it? Let’s get going on it.  Get the ball rolling!” Jensen said, unable to contain his excitement.  “I’ll let you sort out the logo and I’ll get onto my contacts and get things up and running”.

Instead of making a move, Jared stood rooted to the spot, with an anxious look on his face. “Jensen, don’t you think you should slow down on this? What’s the hurry? We’re moving to the house in 4 days, none of your stuff in your apartment is packed up yet….”.

The pregnant man looked unfazed. Stress was normal in his life, he thrived off it and kept him driven in everything that he did. He needed things to do all the time. “Well I’ve got the money, resources and the staff, why wait? There’s no point in sitting on this when we can be doing something now.  And I hardly have a massive amount of personal items to pack up from the apartment seeing as the furniture is staying.  I’ve ordered all new stuff for the house.  There’s someone coming in the day before tomorrow to pack things up for me.  It’s all taken care of!”.

Jared sighed and relaxed a little. “Huh, I shoulda figured you had everything all worked out, you always do. So, how are you, I mean have you found someone to help out starting up the charity, do the ground work for you?”.

“Well this bake sale tomorrow evening in the homeless shelter? There’s a few people there that would be perfect for it.  I’ve already had a couple of them come back to me already to express their interest, so I shouldn’t have much of a problem.  Are we still on for tonight? Making the cupcakes?”.

“Absolutely, I’ve bought all the ingredients ready.  I figure we would make five batches which would give us about 60?  And trust me, that will probably take up the whole evening anyway!” Jared stated. “And I also bought about another 40 ready made”.

Jensen yawned and nodded his head. “I guess we better finish early then and get started on them”.  He tried to stifle a second yawn.

“Look we don’t have to do this if you’re too tired.  Just send them a cheque or something, get some cakes delivered and maybe just show your face for 2 minutes tomorrow.  You’re 5 and a half months pregnant, with twins!”.

“Yeah exactly, I’m pregnant.  I’m not disabled or sick or incapacitated in any way.  I’m just a little tired but that’s to be expected I guess with carrying two growing babies around with me 24/7.  We’re making cakes, tonight. I’ll try finish up by 5pm……ish.  I’ll meet you there?” the pregnant man checked with his fiance.

“Okay, I‘ll see you later”.  The assistant checked his watch. “I better let you finish off that bagel properly, you have a meeting booked for 3.15pm with that guy from Ecovision”.

“Aw, crap, yes! I forgot” Jensen said as he rubbed his swollen stomach.

“Baby brain?” Jared asked with a smirk on his face.

“Like you wouldn’t believe” the executive shook his head.

 

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Jensen had gotten held up at work as per usual.  It was gone 6pm by the time he let himself into his apartment.  He toed off his shoes by the front door and hung up his jacket on the coat rack before sheepishly strolling into the kitchen where his fiance was stood huddled over the counter mixing ingredients into a bowl. “Sorry I’m late…”.

“No worries, you’ve not missed much.  I’m just making up the mixture ready to pour into the cases.  Simple mix of eggs, sugar, butter and-”.

“Flour?” Jensen offered as he brushed off flour from the other man’s face. “You had a little bit, just there…..and there….”. He washed his hands and dried them with a fresh towel. “So, can I do anything to help?”.

Jared put down the spoon and bowl and handed over the cupcake cases. “Just put one of each of these in the trays and we can spoon this into them and get them into the oven.  Oh I was starved and couldn’t wait sorry, but there’s some left over pasta in the microwave, just hit the start button”.

“Excellent, I’m famished” the executive said as he pressed the button on the microwave. He then ate his dinner and fascinatingly watched as Jared spooned equal amounts of mixture into the cases and put them in the oven until there were 5 batches.  By the time the washing up was done, the cakes had all rotated around and were cooked.

“We just need to wait for these to cool, then we can cover them in frosting and sprinkles. Easy, right?” Jared said as he looked over to his fiance who was laid out across the couch staring pensively at the drawers. “What’s up?”.

Jensen had his hands on his stomach again and protectively stroking it.  He was doing it more and more these days. “I’ve got to clear out the drawers.  I stash things in there that I can’t deal with, or…..can’t throw out.  I’ve got to bite the bullet now.  I’ve got to open Pandora’s box.  I’ve been putting it off for weeks”.

Jared torn off his apron and hung it up. “Do you want me to…..assist you? Moral support? Or, if you need privacy, if it’s something you need to do yourself I can leave you to it?”.

“No, I- will you help me?” the older man asked, his voice going wobbly and unsure.

“Oh Jensen, of course I will” the young assistant said serenely.  He indicated to the first drawer and pulled it out when Jensen nodded.  He brought the drawer over to the table and put it down.  Digging his hand in he pulled out a pile of documents.  It almost felt like an intrusion of privacy but he started to rifle through and put things into order.  He had inadvertently looked through the drawers a few months earlier when he was looking for his boss’ diary.  That he was going to keep to himself. There were a few credit card statements and other bills that he put to one side for his fiance to look through and decide if he needed to keep them.

Jensen had a handful of photographs that he was looking through wistfully.  There were a few of him and his grandparents that he smiled at and put in a neat pile.  They were the only ones he had of his childhood, the only happy ones and memories that he wanted to keep.  He came across the picture of him and Jeff and he felt the anger start to build. “This one can be burned!”. There were also some stray postcodes from his parents that he had put away in the drawer so he didn’t have to deal them. “These too”.

Jared smiled sadly at the other man’s harsh feeling towards his parents, parents who had deserted their son and made him the way he was.  As he continued to flick through statements, a familiar glint of something came to the forefront.  It was a Christmas card, one that he had sent to his boss himself.  He opened up the inside and read what he had written months ago. “You kept it?” he asked, handing it over to Jensen. Inside he was dancing for joy the fact that he had kept it.

The executive blushed and tried to shy away from it. “Er, I didn’t realise that I had, must have got caught up with some of the other things in there”.

The younger man wasn’t giving up on it and he playfully nudged his boss. “Ha, you kept it?!”.

“Yeah okay, I kept it! Come on, you were my hot young assistant.  Do you know how many boring corporate Christmas cards I have to read through every year? Yours was handwritten in beautiful writing. So yeah, I kept it, okay?” Jensen admitted freely. “It made my Christmas”.

“There, that wasn’t so bad was it? Admitting that?”. Jared leant over and kissed his fiance on the lips.  He held up a pile of handwritten letters. “Burn?”.

“Yeah!” Jensen said as he rifled through some painful memories consisting of photographs of Jeff and memoirs of his childhood.  There was one of him in his school uniform in boarding school looking unhappy as he posed for the cameras.  These were bitter memories that he tried to repress.  Bitter memories that he wasn’t going to make for his girls. “Okay, maybe we’ll do the second drawer later on.  Let’s go and decorate these cakes then”.  He put the sad photograph down on the table and got to his feet.

Jared glanced at the picture and saw how sad the little boy’s eyes were.  He now knew why Jensen was so keen to make a better life for himself for the sake of his daughters.  Sighing, he joined the other man in the kitchen. “So, do you want frosting or sprinkles?”.

Jensen looked between the two and decided on the easier option given his lack of culinary skills.  Picking up the sprinkles, he smirked. “I get to lick the bowl this time, right? There’s no raw eggs in this one”.

Laughing, the younger man to spoon the frosting carefully onto the cooled cakes. “Yeah, you can lick the bowl”.

“Good” the pregnant man laughed as he dipped a finger into the frosting and spread it onto the other man’s lips. He then licked it off and ended with a kiss. “Mmm…..it’s yummy”.

“Really? Well, when you’re covered in frosting Mr Ackles, just remembered who started it!” Jared said as he stuck his finger in the bowl and smeared it onto the other man’s chin.

 

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Despite half the frosting being smeared and licked off, Jensen and Jared had managed to produce 60 cupcakes between them for the homeless shelter fundraiser.  Jared had eaten two, but when he laid them out on plates the next evening he found that there were only 51 left.

The late May sunshine was reigning down on them despite the early evening and Jensen was trying to keep cool in a linen beige shirt which hung loosely over him.

One of the usual long term volunteers was quite shocked to see the executive there in person. “Wow, Mr Ackles, what a pleasure this is.  We’ve already received your donation.  You didn’t have to bring more cakes.  And, these look homemade too!”.

Jensen smiled at the display of cakes in front of him and proudly looked on at the ones that he assisted with. “Yeah, they are.  Well, I wanted to do a bit more this year, show my face and make a personal contribution”.

“Well it’s an honour” the volunteer said as she looked on as Jensen put a hand over his tummy. “Oh, I didn’t realise that you were pregnant.  When are you due?”.

The pregnant man let his hand drop down by his side and pulled at his shirt. “Er, I’ve still got a long while to go, not until the end of August. It’s twins”.

“Oh congratulations.  You’re certainly going to be kept busy.  Especially if you want to go ahead with starting up your new venture? Well, I’ll only be able to put in part time with the Children’s charity because my priority is with this place, but Laura has expressed an interest and she’s found some other people that are willing to get on board too”.

“Excellent.  Well things are coming together so I’m hoping to get things sorted within the next month!” the executive said with enthusiasm on his face.

“That fast?”.

Jensen popped open the cap on his bottle of water and took a few long swigs. “Well, there’s no point in hanging around. I’ve got an office, staff and money all lined up and some fundraising ideas so the sooner it’s done the better for everyone.  Excuse me” he said as he headed back over to where his fiance was stood chatting to some of the other volunteers and taking some money for a few of the cakes.

Jared put an arm around his fiance’s waist. “How you doing? It’s been crazy in work today and now you’re doing this? You must be exhausted!”.

“I’m okay.  People are actually buying some of our cakes.  I mean, they’re tasty, really good!” the pregnant man said sheepishly.

“Well, you certainly enjoyed one or two of them!” the young man said amusedly with a coy look on his face.

Jensen was about to protest when a little girl ran up to the table, clutching a dollar note in her hands. “Hey sweetie? You want to buy a cupcake?”.

The little girl was dressed from head to toe in pink.  Pink dress, pink bows in her plaits and sparkly pink shoes.  She shyly put a finger in her mouth and started to bite down on it as she scanned the table.

“Let me guess, you like pink?” Jensen asked as he stooped down to her level.  When the girl nodded her head slowly, he stood back up properly and scoured the table for a cupcake decorated with pink icing and pink sprinkles. “How about this one?”.

“Thank you” the little girl said quietly as she took the cupcake and handed over the dollar bill.

Jensen smiled again and lowered his voice into a whisper. “Sssh, keep the dollar, the cupcake is free” he winked.

The girl giggled and skipped back over to her mother with her cupcake.  The pregnant executive watched as she went.

“How have you ever made any money if you give things away for free?” Jared asked as he gazed at his boss. He could see that his face had softened and could in his eyes the way his paternal instincts were kicking in.

“What can I say? When you’re that cute you can get away with anything.  She drove a hard bargain there!” Jensen said. “Anyway, are you okay here for a bit? I’m just heading inside to speak to a couple of people about the new charity.

Jared rolled up his sleeves like he meant business. “Hey, me and Nick have totally got this covered!”.

As Jensen walked inside, he could hear his assistant shouting out to bring in customers.  He laughed as dozens of children came running up, eager to part with their pocket money and hungry for cupcakes.  He really did have this covered.  Everyone loved Jared, well who wouldn’t?

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Chloe was literally besides herself as she jumped up and down, watching as the last of the boxes from the apartment were loaded onto the truck that was waiting outside. “This is happening, actually happening.  Oh my God.  This is crazy hon!” she said as she hugged her fiance.

The blonde photographer smiled as he put his arm around the pretty blonde. “Insane, right? But I mean, look where we’re moving to? My house is being rented out, and Jensen is letting us live in his old apartment, I mean penthouse suite condo excuse me, for peanuts so we’re going to be able to save for our very own house really soon”.

There was a brief knock on the door before a familiar face appeared.  Jared looked on at the empty apartment.  He had emptied his belongings out the day before and were en-route to the new house.  He smiled sadly at his best friend. “Hey Chlo? How you doing?”.

“Jay?” the petite blond said as she ran over to her best friend and threw her arms around him. “I don’t know, I was kinda sad, but now, I’m excited, really, really excited! This is a new start for all of us.  Just one thing though” she said looking sheepishly as she tapped her foot on a large stain on the carpet. “I think we may lose our deposit….”.

Jared looked down at the stain and then back up at his friend and smirked. “Ah, yeah, I forgot about that.  That’s why we moved the couch to where it was, right?”.

Chloe smiled and nodded her head. “Yeah. Hell of a party though, right?”.

Jimmy was out of the loop and he pondered for a moment as to what it could be.

“I’ll tell you later hon” the blonde said amusedly. “Oh, Jay, I found this, you left it behind.  It was stuffed behind the wardrobe” she said as she handed over a crumpled t-shirt, caked on with dust. “I figure you’d need to wash it before you wear it!”.

“Oh, I’ve been looking for this for ages! I thought I’d left it at Patrick’s house. God I Love Iron Maiden” Jared reminisced.

“No you don’t, that was just another phase.  At least it wasn’t as bad as your Van Halen phase, that was highly entertaining!” the blonde laughed.

Jared huffed and put a hand on his hip. “Oh and the spice girls were totally cool then?”.

“Hey, I totally rocked the baby spice look. Anyway…..where’s Jensen?” Chloe said, trying to divert away from an escalating argument.

“He said he had a few things to do, so he’s going to meet me at the house later on.  Hard work begins now, unpacking, making things homely.  I’ll give you a ring later, see how you’re getting on. Love you” the taller man said as he gave his friend a kiss on the cheek and patted the photographer on the back.

“Good luck”.

“Ditto”.

 

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Jensen looked around his apartment one last time.  Most of the furniture was still there and it looked pretty much the same as usual as he had never bothered with many personal touches.  It was just an apartment to him and until he met Jared he never spent much time here.  The issue here was that it marked a massive milestone in his life, moving to a house, with his fiance and having his own family soon.  Gone was his bachelor life, hooking up with men every other night.  To him, the apartment was just a shell.  He closed his eyes and thought about the new house that awaited him.  Bracing his hands on his tummy as he felt his girls move around he smiled at the prospect of what the next few months would have in store for him.  He had gone through all the range of different emotions, anxiety, nervousness, excitement.  But now he was ready.  He closed the door and locked it behind him and stashed the key on top of the light outside the door ready for Chloe and Jimmy to collect.

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Jared had picked up the new SUV from the dealer and was like a kid on Christmas day opening his first present.  Even the car key itself was new and shiny and looked expensive.  In fact the car key alone probably cost more than the last car he had owned, a beat up old ford.  He had never had a brand new car before.  As he slid into the seats, he peeled off bits of plastic wrapping and inhaled the new smell with a goofy grin on his face.  The seat was beyond comfortable, moulding into his back like it knew how he liked it.  The grip on the steering wheel was like a dream and he nearly had a mini orgasm when he turned on the ignition and heard the engine roar into life.  He put on his sunglasses and rolled down the window.  Jensen was waiting for him at the house so he was to head straight there. Even though he had mapped out a short route, he intended to go the long way around, all around the houses and side streets so that he could prolong his time with the new car and show off as much as he could.  He pumped the gas for a minute or so, grinning at the noise the whole time until one of the salesman appeared at the door and gave him a funny look.  Taking the hint, he pulled out of the dealership parking lot and accelerated down the road, music blaring out of the high tech stereo system as he went.

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This was the first time that Jared was going to see the house inside and going beyond the electric gates.  Lucky they were open and there was plenty of room to park the SUV in the drive alongside the Porshe. The mover vans were parked up in the driveway and there were men scurrying back and forth with their belongings, unloading the vans.  As he entered in through the front door, he was taken back by the expanse of the hallway and the staircase.  He was excited to see the rest of the house.  Jensen had really good taste.  He was scared that the house wouldn’t feel like home to him, or at least until they had put their own stamp on the place, but he was immediately struck with the feeling of belonging.  Lucy rushed past him, clearly excited about all the room she now had to run around.  From around the corner, he could hear some commotion coming from what he assumed was the kitchen. “Jensen?”.

The executive was stood in the kitchen looking out at the huge garden outside. “Kitchen!” he shouted back.  He smiled when he saw appear Jared. “What do you think? Have you checked out the lounge or upstairs yet?”.

Jared was too busy looking around the kitchen.  He liked to dabble with cooking sometimes, but the kitchen was just so amazing, he thought he could definitely see himself spending a lot more time here, cooking up a feast.  Marble work surfaces and counters and a granite breakfast bar in the middle of the room.  There was an aga and a massive American style fridge/freezer.  “No, not yet.  I’m not sure I can handle all of this excitement. Woah” he said as he spotted a wine rack in-built into one of the cupboards. “Oh by the way, I love the SUV, I mean, totally amazing.  The looks I had driving it around. You really need to come and see it!”.

Jensen turned away from looking out at the garden and faced his assistant. “Yeah I’m sure that it’s just fine. Jared? There’s something that I need to tell you….”.

“Yeah?” the younger man said suddenly, fear rising in his throat.  His first thoughts were that Jensen was having second thoughts or something.

“I kinda, did something. I mean, I couldn’t resist, I’m sorry.  I was passing and went in for a look out of curiosity more than anything, and they were so cute.  They had been abandoned when they were a few weeks old, but they are perfectly healthy, and did I already mention cute? I know I should have asked you before…” Jensen said going off an a spiel. “We could use the practice and the house and garden is more than big enough for them to run around in.  And I’m sure Lucy will get used to them….when she stops hissing….”.

Jared could see his boss looking nervously out at the garden again. “What did you get?”.

“Look, they love the garden” the executive said as he pointed to two wagging tails and two very adorable puppies climbing on top of each other and then running around with excitement at the freedom and the different sights and smells in the garden.

“Puppies? Oh…” the assistant said as he studied them with avid interest.

Jensen’s face fell. “Oh God, crap, I knew I should have asked you first.  You hate dogs don‘t you? I never thought to even ask!”.

“No! I don’t hate dogs.  I love them.  I’m just really surprised, in a good way” he reiterated. “My parents each bought me and Josh a puppy each for Christmas one year and then before we knew it we had puppies and dogs running all around the ranch. I loved them so much.  I’ve always wanted my own dog again, but living in the middle of city in a pokey apartment, it was just not possible that’s all.  Have they got names already?”.

“Er” Jensen said as he picked up a handful of documents that the animal shelter had given him and started to rifle through.  “The girl is called Sadie, and they’ve named the boy Harley.  I guess we could always change them if you don’t like them”.

Jared opened up the sliding doors to the kitchen which opened out onto a massive decking area.  He glanced briefly at a hot tub but ignored it in favour of the puppies.  Stooping down he called out their names.  The puppies ran up to him in an instant, their little clumsy legs tripping over everywhere, but they began to lick him and wag their tails furiously. “Maybe not.  I think they know their names already.  It suits them I think. Hey….Sadie” he said once he checked which was which. “And you little fella must be Harley”.

Jensen smiled at the interaction and sighed in relief at how well his fiance took the new arrivals. “Well, if you can prise yourself away from these little monkeys, I’ll show you around the rest of the house”.

“Yeah. Oh yes.  And then I’ll show you the SUV. Okay guys, I’ll see you in a bit, okay?” Jared said as he got to his feet and rubbed his hands on the back of his pants.  The garden, from what he could see, seemed to go on forever and it looked like there was almost a hidden garden right at the very back.  He could see the eagerness on his fiance’s face so he followed him back into the kitchen and back into the hall.

“Yeah, I’m never going to be as excited about the SUV as you.  As long as you love it and it’s safe for the babies to be in, then that’s more than okay with me.  Right then, I’ll show you the other room’s down here and then I’ll take you upstairs.  The bathroom has under-floor heating, I think you’d like it.  And our bedroom has a view looking out over the city and the Golden gate bridge.  It’s pretty amazing” the executive said before pausing. “Welcome to our new home”.

Jared cupped his hands around the other man’s face and gently kissed him on the lips tenderly before stepping aside and following his fiance around the rest of the house.

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	31. Chapter 31

By the time the mover vans left and the boxes were unloaded, it was late in the evening. Jensen had hired someone in the coming days to put the flat pack stuff together and the majority of the furniture would be delivered too. The interior designer and her team were also scheduled to come and paint in the next few days. But for now, there was nothing left for the two exhausted men to do. Jared had fed the puppies and settled them down for the night. Thankfully they had worn themselves out from exploring and playing in their new surroundings so they didn’t protest being left. It had been a very surreal day, getting used to his new life. Everything had almost fit into place overnight. The only thing that they needed now were the twins and everything would be complete.

Jensen had cleaned his teeth and changed into his pyjamas and was just pulling back the covers on the bed, when his fiance came into the bedroom yawning. “I can’t believe it’s only 8.40pm. This is crazy!”.

“I know. But what a day. I can’t believe how much we’ve achieved in a day. I know there’s still loads left to do but it’s amazing. I still can’t believe you got us puppies. They are adorable. I just didn’t have you down as a dog person, I thought Lucy was your baby”.

“I know, she is. But she’s independent and I knew that we would have a huge garden and loads of room so it needed filling. Plus I think the girls will love the dogs when they are older. I’m sorry I didn’t discuss it with you first, but it was kind of an impromtu decision. Blame the babies for making me go soft” Jensen said in an amused tone.

Jared slid into bed as Jensen did the same. “It’s fine. This is kind of your house….”.

“No, it’s ours Jared. Ours. This is our home, our new life, new start and our future. And I am truly honoured that I get to spend that with you. Another few months and the babies will be here. So for now lets just enjoy this, let’s enjoy us. I think we are going to make this work” the pregnant man said sincerely as he put his hand on the other man‘s hand. 

“Of course we are. We’ve come too far now to back out. I want to grow old with you Jensen, raise our girls, bring up our family. It’s going to be hard, and I’m sure crazy at times and there will be tears, blood and sweat, but we’ll manage. This is the start of something amazing” Jared said excitedly.

Jensen nestled his head into the pillow and smiled. “Most men would have run a mile, but you are just….just, amazing”. His voice started to drawl as he felt sleep take over his body.

“Get some sleep sweetie” Jared said as he leant over and planted a kiss on the executives mouth and then turned over and extinguished the light on the night stand next to him.

“Good night” Jensen whispered before sleep finally won the battle.

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Jensen had come home from work a little after his assistant as he had some contracts to sign. As he walked into the kitchen there was food cooking ready. He peered out into the garden to find Jared chasing the puppies around. They were chasing their own tails, then each other, then when they stopped, Jared threw a ball around for them and they started back up again. Smiling, Jensen watched. If he wasn’t so pregnant he would be running around with them. In a year or so, there would be two other little beings running around with them. He could see it now, their girls, all freckles, blond hair and pigtails and no doubt dressed from head to toe in pink. He slid the sliding door open into the garden and sat down on one of the comfy garden chairs. Although he had been sat down for the majority of the day, his feet and ankles were swollen and really hurt. Heaving his legs up onto one of the other chairs he smiled when Jared saw him. “I’m not sure who’s having the most fun, you or the puppies!”.

Jared laughed as he wiped a hand across his forehead. The evening sun was glaring down on them. “Well at least they will sleep tonight!”. He walked over to his fiance and planted a kiss on his lips. Looking down at the pregnant man’s feet he frowned slightly. “Your feet look swollen. Want a rub?”.

Jensen’s eyes almost rolled back in his head at the thought. “Yes please. But do my shoulders first. Even sitting down at a desk all day is becoming too much of a chore”.

Smiling sympathetically, the younger man began rubbing his hands over the knots in his fiance’s shoulders. “Wow, you are all tense”.

The puppies came running over to them when they got bored of chasing each other’s tails. They began yelping in excitement on seeing their other owner.

Jensen reached down as best he could to rub behind their ears as his shoulders were being massaged. “Something smells good in the kitchen”.

“Well I wanted to test out the new kitchen properly, so I went to town on the food! I hope you are hungry!” Jared said happily.

“Always hungry Jared, you know that! Hungry, thirsty, tired, achy. And sleepy” the pregnant man said as he gave out a little moan in delight. He closed his eyes and felt the sun on his face.

“Well I’ve got to tend to food, so why don’t you stay out here, doze in the sun, and I’ll bring it out to you in a little while?” Jared said as he moved his hands lower and wrapped them around his lover.

“Sounds amazing. Thank you” Jensen said sincerely. Right now, life couldn’t get any better.

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Jared panicked when he saw the text message flash up on his phone from his boss. It said that he was needed in his office urgently. He immediately thought that there was something wrong with the babies. Running up the stairs, he almost crashed through the door of the office and appeared in the doorway panting and sweating a little.

“Jared? Are you okay?” Jensen asked as he looked on almost in amusement.

“Yeah, I came as quick as I could, are you okay? Is it the babies?” Jared panted.

Jensen got up from his chair and filled a cup with cold water from the cooler. Handing it over, he looked confused. “Yeah we are fine. A little squirmy today, but fine”.

“You said you wanted to see me urgently!” Jared said as he took the water and downed it. “I assumed something was wrong!”.

The executive looked slightly embarrassed. “Oh God, I’m sorry, it was a standard template text message. No, we are fine, there’s nothing wrong. I just needed to catch you before you went downtown. I got you a present and I need to give it to you before tonight”.

Once Jared’s heart rate had slowed to a normal level, he nodded his head and looked intrigued. He took the envelope that was handed to him and opened it up. They were courtside tickets to the basketball match later on this evening. “Where did you get these? These are incredible! I mean these cost like……thank you!”.

“Are they the right ones? I was told they were the best that money could buy” Jensen said.

“They are, I mean, you can practically touch the hoops from these seats. Thank you so much! What’s this in aid of?” the younger man said as he looked up and down from the tickets and kept touching them.

“For looking after me, being supportive. Besides, I’ve never been to a game before and wanted to see what the fuss was about that’s all!” the pregnant man said.

Jared was still in shock. “You hate basketball. You would really sit through a match just for me?”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, why not. I’ve even got us jerseys for the occasion. And foam fingers, that’s what people have, right?”.

“This is awesome. How the hell did you even manage to get us tickets? These are sold out months in advance, especially these ones because it’s a championship semi-final!”.

“Well, I was owed a favour so I cashed it in” Jensen said un-phased at how big a deal it was for the other man.

“You are awesome Mr Ackles” Jared said affectionately as he planted the biggest kiss on his fiancé’s lips.

“I’ll see you there for 7.30pm. I’ve got some things that I need to sort out first for your trip to Boston, I need to put some things together for you to take” the older man said.

Jared’s excitement turned to nervousness. “Oh yeah, I forgot about Boston”.

“You will be fine, I promise you, you haven’t let me down so far. Besides there’s no major pressure on you, it’s on me. You are just my representative. So quit stressing, get to your meeting and I’ll see you later on, now go!” Jensen said playfully.

Remembering his excitement, Jared bounced out of the room much to his boss’ amusement.

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Jared was stood by the entrance of the basketball arena waiting for his fiance. He had the tickets snuggled away in his pants pocket which was guarded closely by his hand. He kept checking his watch every few seconds until he saw the familiar face of Jensen approaching him.

Jensen was wearing his basketball jersey, true to his word. He threw the other jersey over to Jared who pulled his on over his head. “This is surprisingly comfy and it goes over my massive stomach. It hides it well, I like it!”.

Jared laughed when his boss produced two foam fingers. Taking one he put it on his hand and playfully poked his fiance with it. “You are too cute!”.

Blushing slightly, Jensen sniffed at the aroma of fresh hotdogs. “Mmmm, those smell pretty good. Can we get some?”.

“Absolutely! Er, I guess we’ll have to have soda with them” the younger man said mournfully.

“You don’t have to have soda Jared. You’re not pregnant, so if you want a beer, have a beer okay? This is your night!”.

“Are you okay with the smell now though? It did make you sick?” Jared asked worriedly.

“No, it’s fine now. Will you get the food and drinks, I’ll go use the bathroom before things start and I’ll meet you in our seats?” Jensen said as he took his ticket.

“Sure. You want chilli cheese and ketchup on your hotdogs?” Jared asked.

Jensen nodded his head and gave the other man a ‘duh’ look.

When Jared appeared with the food and beverages, Jensen was already sat in his seat. The younger man handed over the hotdogs and soda and took his seat. His eyes lit up when he took in his surroundings, overwhelmed at how amazing his seat was. “Wow!! This is totally amazing! I can almost reach out and shoot some hoops from here, thank you”.

The pregnant executive leant back in the plastic seat. It was uncomfortable and he was losing interest already and the game hadn’t even started. The only thing that was keeping him going was the food in his hand and the excitement and happiness on his fiance’s face. “Glad it’s okay for you!”.

“Hell yeah!” Jared said as he took a sip from his bottle of beer.

Just as Jensen was about to take a bite from his hotdog, he slunk down in his chair and covered his stomach over with the foam finger and his food box. “Crap!”.

“What?” Jared asked. “What’s wrong?”. 

“The guy, walking towards us, just don’t say anything, okay, please?” the pregnant man said, panic in his voice as he gave up trying to hide and focused on covering up his stomach.

The man in question didn’t seem to acknowledge the older man until he had almost walked past, then he walked back a couple of steps. “Jensen?”.

Jensen winced but forced a smile. “Hi Thomas!”.

“Hey man, how’s things? It’s been a while. What are you doing at a Warriors match?”.

Jared felt uncomfortable at how cagey his fiance was being towards the other man.

“Well, you know how it is, free corporate tickets, scouting out some business, it’s a tough job. Oh and this is my business associate Jared” Jensen said as he looked towards his fiance with almost an apologetic face.

“Nice to meet you Jared” the blonde said as he shook his hand. He then turned his attention back to the executive. “I saw your parents only 6 months ago as it happens. Played a round of golf with your father, they look well”.

Jensen put his hands down on his lap to further cover his stomach. He had to stop himself from rubbing at the spot where the babies were kicking him, reacting to his anxiety. He moved his left hand down out of view, hiding his engagement ring. “Oh right”.

The announcer’s voice came booming across, telling people that the match was going to start in two minutes.

“Well, nice to see you again Jensen, give my regards to your parents. I’d better go and find my seat”. The blonde man checked his tickets against the seats. “Oh no, looks like I’m a lot further on and back than you. It’s a shame we aren’t sitting anywhere near each other. Oh well, enjoy the game and I’ll see you soon no doubt!”.

Once the blonde man had disappeared, Jensen sighed with relief. “I’m so sorry Jared, I couldn’t tell him, it would get back to my parents, and as the paperwork is still going through, they can’t find out just yet. I’m the one that needs to tell them. I’m sorry!”.

Jared could see how upset his fiance was getting. He put his hand on his arm. “It’s fine. I understand. He seemed nice though?”.

Jensen just scoffed. “Ha, yes, golden boy. My parents thought more of him than they ever did of me and he used to play into that. My parents always compared me to him, wanted me to be more like ‘Thomas’. It was always ‘Thomas this’ and ‘Thomas that’. He’s a kiss ass and I can’t stand him to be honest”.

“Well, we’ve got better seats than him?” Jared said jokingly. “I know it’s not much of a consolation, but he’s stuck with the hillbillies at the back”.

The pregnant man laughed and relaxed again. As the match was about to begin, he turned his attention back to the hotdog and polished it off, not even caring as the cheese and sauce dripped down his chin in the most undignified manner.

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Jensen had fallen asleep in the car on the way home. Jared was reluctant to wake him up, but he figured he needed a comfy bed rather than the seat of the car to sleep in.

“Jensen? We’re home. Wake up sweetie” Jared said softly.

The pregnant man opened his eyes and rubbed at them. “I wasn’t sleeping” he lied. “I was just…never mind”.

Once inside the house, they both trudged up the stairs wearily.

“Thank you for tonight, I know that you hated every minute of it” the younger man said as he pulled back the covers on the bed so they could get in. “Thank you for doing it for me”.

Smiling, Jensen sat down on the bed. “I didn’t actually hate every minute of it. I actually quite enjoyed once I worked out what was going on and who was meant to be scoring where. It was good”. He was completely sincere in his words. “Plus, a few of them were super hot! Number 5 I think”.

“Cooper? Yeah he’s pretty hot!” Jared agreed. “I never really noticed him before, but then I’ve never been that close to the players before. Hell I could even see the sweat dripping off his forehead. That was one lucky towel I tell you!”. 

Jensen smiled as he lay down on the bed in an exhausted heap. 

“Wait a second, we need to get you changed, don’t go to sleep yet” the younger man said as he tried to pull off the other man’s pants.

The pregnant man was like a floppy rag doll. He just moaned and buried his head in his pillow.

Once Jared had got the pants off, he figured Jensen could just sleep in the basketball jersey. “Do you want your pillow?”.

“Mmmm hmmm” Jensen muttered as he moved over onto his side a little more so that the other man could put his pregnancy pillow under his stomach.

“Goodnight Jensen. Sweet dreams. I’m just going to check on the puppies and make sure Lucy has got enough food and I’ll be back up” Jared said as he pulled the bed sheets up over the pregnant man, leaving the blankets off because he knew that he would be too hot with them too.

When Jared returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, Jensen was fast asleep. He snuck in under the bed covers and draped his arm around his fiance, his hand resting on where the babies were gently moving around. Smiling to himself, he too succumbed to sleep.

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It had taken a good 2 weeks of unpacking, sorting, re-sorting, deliveries, putting things together and organising until everything was all done.

Louise and her team of painters and decorators had worked exceptionally hard in doing all the interior design and the house looked incredible and had their own stamp on it. In one of the spare rooms down stairs, she had painted in pinks and purples and glitter for when the babies were older as a playroom for them. The very last room was the nursery, and in conjunction with Jared’s help, she had painted Woodland Murals on the wall which looked professional and amazing.

The only thing that hadn’t arrived yet was the nursery furniture which Jared was going to assemble himself as well as paint the other 3 walls which Louise had left blank for him to do. He was still determined to put his own stamp on the babies room.

Tonight was the first night that the couple could truly relax in their new home knowing that all the mess and decorating had been completed and it was all clean and tidy apart from the half finished nursery. The puppies had also grown quite a bit and Lucy wasn‘t hissing at them so much.

Jared put the puppies to bed and flicked off the kitchen light and climbed the stairs to the bedroom where Jensen was already in bed, sat up reading through a file and highlighting some sentences.

“All packed?” Jensen asked his fiance.

“Yeah. It’s only for 3 nights, so I’ve only got a couple of suits. Are you sure I have to go? I really don’t want to leave you” the younger man said as he climbed into bed and snuggled up closer to his fiance.

Jensen sighed and put the file down. “Well I can’t go to Boston. I can’t fly now, can I? 26 weeks is too risky for me. And if I can’t go, you’re the only one I truly trust to go”.

“What about Brad?” Jared quipped.

“No, it has to be you. This is a big deal Jared and you’re the only one who knows exactly what to do and say. We’ve been working on this together for a while now. Like you said, it’s only 3 nights. And I get to try out this massive bed to myself. I’ll be fine. I’ll get up, go to work, do some work, come home, eat dinner, maybe watch some TV on the couch, go to bed and repeat 3 times then you’ll be home. Besides, I’ve got enough company right here. Two babies” he said as he put a hand over the expanse of his stomach, two mischievous puppies and right now, a sulking cat. I’ll be fine. Plus I‘ve got Loretta too, I‘m all set”.

“Okay. Just don’t over exert yourself. The puppies can just run around outside in the garden, no taking them for walks. I think they’re still too small right now anyway for that, I‘ll try them once they‘ve had all of their vaccinations. And there’s enough food in the fridge to last and no lifting any of those heavy boxes in the nursery” the young assistant warned. “I’ll move them when I get back”.

“I’m 6 months pregnant Jared, I’m exhausted so I’m not going to do anymore than I have to. Besides I’ve lived by myself most of my life so I can manage. And anyway, Loretta is coming to clean tomorrow and no doubt she’ll bring me a lasagne again so that will last at least two nights. And I’m sure you’ll be ringing me at least 20 times everyday. Oh, in fact, I want you to, because I want to be kept well informed about how Boston is going down” the pregnant man said as he reached over to the file and handed it over. “I’ve highlighted some important points in here. And remember, if anyone asks why I can’t be there, tell them-”.

“-something else has come up, I know. Steve knows why though, right?” Jared checked.

“Yes, but he’s not going to say anything to anyone” Jensen said as he yawned and flicked the switch off on his bedside lamp.

Jared sighed but agreed with what they had discussed. He still wasn’t sure why his boss was still reluctant to publicly tell people outside his company that he was pregnant. It was late and he really didn’t want to get into a debate tonight. “Okay. Sweet dreams” he said as he too diminished his light and closed his eyes.

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	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Updated* Missed this chapter out on the first post, sorry!

Jensen had survived his first night without Jared in the new house. The first day in Boston had apparently gone well and Jared sounded like he had a hold on the situation. He was cuddled up on the couch the next evening with the puppies running around the lounge playing and fighting over a chew toy. Lucy looked on smugly as she snuggled up against her owner and purred contently. After coming off the phone to his fiance, the phone rang again and an anxious sounding voice came on the line.

 

“Jensen?” Chloe asked.

 

“Chloe? Everything okay?” the executive asked as he muted the television.

 

Chloe and Jimmy had settled into Jensen’s apartment very well. They couldn’t believe how the other half lived. The blonde was stood in the lounge with a remote control in her hand frantically pressing buttons and pointing to the electric blinds by the windows. “How the hell do you get these blind things to work?”. She was trying her best not to swear. It couldn’t be that hard, but yet she had been trying for over half an hour, before finally plucking up the courage to ring him. This was the first night that they had wanted to use them since moving in.

 

Jensen refrained from laughing, but he smiled like a loon. He had had a similar problem when he had first moved in. “You need to re-program the control first. Hold down the green button for 5 seconds, then you’ll hear it beep and then away you go”.

 

“Okay, hang on….” Chloe said as she did just that. When the blinds finally started to close she jumped up and down in delight. “Thank you”.

 

“No worries. Anything else I can help you with?” Jensen asked as he watched the images flicker on the silent television screen.

 

“Nope, I’m good. Just thank you, this place is amazing. Oh and actually, there’s some mail here for you. Shall I redirect it?” Chloe asked.

 

The executive fiddled with a button on his shirt. He had informed everyone of his new address and shouldn’t have any mail coming to the apartment. Except there was two people he hadn’t told. “Um, are the letters handwritten by any chance?”.

 

“Wait a second” Chloe said as she dashed over to the kitchen table to get the letter. After studying the front of the letter she came back onto the phone. “Yes. It’s very neat actually and there’s a postal stamp on it….looks like it’s from France”.

 

Jensen bit down on his lip to curb his anger. “It’s okay Chloe, you can throw that into the trash”.

 

“Oh o-kay” the blonde said. “Tell Jared I’ll catch up with him when he gets back. I haven’t seen him since we’ve both moved. “Good night”.

 

“I will do, Good night” Jensen said as he hung up and put the phone back into the rocker. As he un-muted the television, his cell phone beeped. A text message flashed up from his fiance. Smiling he started to reply.

 

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The executive was sat behind his desk, his engorged stomach getting in the way of him being able to lean over the desk as he was used to doing before he got so big. The phone had been ringing non-stop and he hadn’t had two minutes spare for himself. His assistant had only been gone for a couple of days and was coming back tomorrow but he missed him already and felt truly and utterly lost without him. It was then he realised just how much of a help that Jared was to him and how many burdens he helped shoulder and how much errands he ran.

 

The phone rang again, and exhaling loudly he picked it up, his hand over his stomach protectively. “Jensen Ackles?” he answered when he felt his stomach momentarily tighten causing him to nearly double over. He tried to focus on the conversation and the phonecall but his stomach kept getting tight and then tapering off. It was more uncomfortable more than anything else.

 

“Yeah, okay, just fax it through to my office….yeah, I’m kinda swamped right now, I’ll take a look when I’ve got a moment. I’ve got to go….” the executive said as he wrapped up the phonecall as quick as he could. He slowly got to his feet and started to pace around the room, which seemed to ease the pains and cramps in his stomach. It felt different, different to how he assumed labour pains would feel. But what if it was? He was only 26 weeks, way too early for the babies to be making an appearance. He didn’t want to freak out unnecessarily so he carried on with his work for a little while until he had a couple more strange pains and sensations in his stomach which fuelled his anxiety again. If Jared were here, he would calm him down and get in touch with his OB/GYN.

 

He figured he would go to the hospital and get himself checked out. He had always told himself that he wouldn’t get so paranoid about the slightest twinge, because the last thing had turned out to just be a kidney infection, but without Jared there, he didn’t have any reassurance and he didn’t want to take any chances at all. He had tried to ignore it, but there was something niggling about the pains that made him panic somewhat. Grabbing his coat and shrugging it on, he located his car keys and headed to the elevator passing Brad on his way out.

 

“Jensen? You finishing for the day?” Brad asked his boss.

 

Jensen’s face must have given it away, because Brad suddenly looked concerned.

 

“No, but I’m okay, I’m just going to pop in to see my OB/GYN that’s all. If anyone rings for me, tell them I’m out of the office. Just take any messages….” the executive said as he winced at another spasm in his stomach.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive? I’ll give you a ride in if you like?” Brad offered.

 

“It’s fine, honestly Brad, thanks for the offer. I’ll check in later, okay?” Jensen said as he frantically pressed the button for the elevator.

 

The pregnant man tried to stay calm during the short drive to the ER. There was no consistency with the cramps, and they were short and sporadic. When he arrived at the nurse’s station in the ER he calmly walked up to the desk and spoke to the first nurse he could find.

 

“Hi, I’m pregnant, I’m only 26 weeks and I’m having weird stomach cramps. It’s Jensen Ackles, and my OB/GYN is Dr Lane” Jensen said before wincing again at another tightening in his belly.

 

One of the nurses smiled reassuringly and ushered the pregnant man straight into one of the examining rooms and assisted him up onto the bed and told him to change into a gown.

 

Kudos to Dr Lane, she was down with Jensen within 15 minutes of him walking into the ER. She knew that Jensen’s pregnancy was high risk so she made him a priority and took him up to one of the pre-natal wards for further monitoring.

 

“Jensen…” Dr Lane said as she surveyed the pregnant man’s chart. “Hhmm, your blood pressure is still raised…..and have you been drinking enough today?”.

 

“Er, I’ve been really busy…I think…..I had a couple of glasses of water this morning…nothing this afternoon…..I usually do…” the pregnant man admitted sheepishly. “I know….before you say anything….”.

 

“I’m not here to give you a lecture Jensen. How are these pains now?” the doctor asked.

 

“Haven’t had one for a while. I wouldn’t really say that they are painful. More, uncomfortable, strange….” Jensen said. “Ooooo, another one”. He put his hands awkwardly around his stomach and felt uncomfortable at being watched so intensely.

 

“Did they settle down when you walked around?” Dr Lane asked as she started to palpate her patients stomach.

 

Jensen just nodded.

 

Dr Lane smiled. “That’s good”.

 

“Good?” Jensen scoffed. “How is that good? How is any of this good?”.

 

“Have you heard of Braxton Hicks contractions?” the OB/Gyn asked her patient.

 

“The fake contraction things?” the pregnant man checked. He remember glancing over something briefly in one of the many pregnancy books that Jared had bought. He genuinely hadn’t had the time to read through them properly.

 

“Yes. These are just Braxton Hicks contractions. Irregular, eased by walking around. Practice contractions. That’s all they are, practice ones ready for the real event. These babies are happy where they are for now, but they just want daddy to relax and take it easy. And to drink plenty too!” the physician added.

 

“Okay. So, can I go home now?” the executive asked with a smile plastered on his face that everything was okay.

 

“Not so fast there Mr Ackles. Braxton Hicks are brought on by stress and dehydration and given that your blood pressure is still elevated, I’m booking you in for the night for some R&R” Dr Lane said as she handed over a chart to one of the nurses who just entered the room.

 

Jensen nodded his head again, not putting up any fight this time. “Okay, you’re the boss”.

 

“Wow, really? I thought you would have put up much more of a fight than that!” the physician said, surprised at how easily her patient agreed.

 

“Well you know best” the pregnant man stated as he smoothed down the hospital gown over his stomach.

 

Dr Lane smiled and nodded her head. “Yep, that’s why you pay me the big bucks. Now get some rest and if I hear that you’re not listening to the nurses, then there’ll be trouble!” she teased.

 

“Resting…” Jensen said as he laid back and made himself more comfortable.

 

“Okay. Is there anyone that I can call for you? Jared?” the doctor asked her patient.

 

“No, Jared’s away in Boston right now on a conference, on my behalf, because apparently I’m too pregnant to fly!” the executive said.

 

“Too right you are…..well I can ring him anyway?” Dr Lane suggested.

 

The pregnant man shook his head and adjusted his position in the bed. “No, I don’t want to worry him. He’ll be back tomorrow evening anyway”.

 

“Okay, I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow morning, but you’ve got my personal pager number if you have any other worries”.

 

Jensen smiled at his physician. “Now that’s why I pay you the big bucks….”.

 

The doctor left the room and Jensen sighed, boredom setting in already. He grabbed his palmtop tablet and opened up the web browser to start checking his emails when his cell-phone started to ring. Looking at the caller display, he saw that it was Jared. He flipped the lid.

 

“Hey…” Jensen answered casually hoping that his assistant wouldn‘t pick up on the distinct beeping sound of the baby monitor‘s in the background.

 

Jared’s voice over the phone was one of concern. “Jensen? Is everything okay?”.

 

“Yeah, fine. How’s the conference going? I’m just checking my emails now for any updates that you’ve sent me…” the pregnant man said. It wasn’t altogether a lie, he just wasn’t saying much, especially with regards to his whereabouts.

 

“I’m at the airport about to board to a flight back to San Fran…” Jared said hurriedly.

 

“What, er, why?” the older man asked.

 

“I rang Brad at the office and he said you weren’t feeling good or something and that you were going to see the OB/GYN? You didn’t have a scheduled appointment with her? Is everything okay? Are the babies okay?”.

 

Jensen inwardly cursed because he didn’t want Jared to worry and come rushing back from Boston over nothing. “Oh, yeah. It’s fine, we’re all fine. Just Braxton Hicks….”.

 

“Okay, I’ve read about them. Painless contractions, right? But not real ones though, yes?” Jared’s voice was slightly less panicky.

 

“No, not real ones. And painless? What dumb ass book told you that? These were pretty painful! Seriously, there’s no need to come back tonight. They’re just keeping me in over night as an over precaution” the executive said calmly.

 

Jared was holding firm on his decision. “I’m coming home tonight. You’re probably working too hard and stressing yourself out. I told you that I didn’t want to go and leave you alone. How’s your blood pressure?”. Jensen’s silence gave him his answer. “Jensen? I’m coming home to look after you and the babies….I knew that I shouldn’t have gone to Boston”.

 

The pregnant executive sighed and rolled his eyes. “I asked you to, I needed you to Jared. I guess it’s been a hectic few weeks what with moving house and this case with my parents-”. He silently cursed at himself for effectively dropping himself in it.

 

“Get some sleep, I’ll see you in like 8 hours okay? Rest…” Jared said as he chose to ignore the last statement from his boss and fiance.

 

“Yes, I’m closing my eyes right now” Jensen said rolling them as he fiddled with his palmtop computer.

 

“No, you’re talking to me right now, so you can’t possibly be sleeping. Look, I’ve got to go anyway, because my flight is boarding” Jared said as he fumbled around.

 

Jensen tried one last plea. “No Jared, don’t you dare, don’t hang up on me. You stay in Boston, I need you there!”. He heard the line go dead and he swore, letting out a string of profanities. He slammed down his phone on the table. After checking his emails and doing all that he could, he tapped his fingers impatiently. He was hungry so he rung his buzzer for a nurse.

 

When the nurse entered the room she folded her arms across her chest. “Everything okay sir?”.

 

“Any chance of something to eat? I’m really hungry” the executive said as nice as he could.

 

“Let‘s see, I can probably get a sandwich and jell-o for you? Is that okay?” the blonde nurse asked.

 

Scoffing, Jensen was unamused. “I’m pregnant and I didn‘t have lunch”.

 

“So you are, and so is everyone else on this ward and they are more than happy with a sandwich and jell-o. Do you want it or not?” the nurse asked impatiently.

 

Jensen shook his head. “No! I want some fries dipped in a cheese dip, and some chicken with ranch sauce. And some lemonade, raspberry lemonade!”.

 

“I’m not a waitress and this isn’t a restaurant Mr Ackles. I’m very busy. Let me know when you want a sandwich, okay?””. The nurse shut the door and left.

 

The executive wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted. He picked up his cell phone and got through to Brad’s office. “Brad? Yeah, I’m fine thank you. Yeah, they’re keeping me in for the night. It’s okay about telling Jared, don’t worry about that, I probably should have told him anyway. Look, I need a massive favour from you. I need you to go to that diner down the road and get me some stuff and bring it in for me? I’m on the 8th floor, room 843. It’s quite specific so here goes…”.

 

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Brad had sweet talked his way into the ward and told the nurses he would make sure that Jensen would go easy on them once he had his food. When he entered the room, Jensen was flicking through some channels on the television. He could see the huge bulge from under the thin hospital bed covers and the thin gown he was wearing. Although the colour had returned to his cheeks, he still looked a little under the weather. He had never seen his boss out of his formal clothes before and so casual. “I brought the files you wanted and the food”.

 

Jensen reached out for the containers and moaned when he opened up the fries with the cheese dip. They were still hot despite the journey from the diner to the hospital. “Brad….I love you so much right now. If you weren’t married and straight……anyway…..yum!” he said shoving a handful of fries in his mouth. He didn’t care how undignified and messy he looked right now. “Perfect, thank you. And thank you for the files. If I’m stuck here all night, I figured I could at least get some work done”.

 

“Aren’t you meant to be resting though?” Brad asked.

 

“Don’t you start. Although it’s somehow reassuring how much like Jared you sound right now” the CEO said as he opened up the box of chicken and started to dip that into the ranch sauce.

 

“I had to placate the nurses for you. It’s the only way I could get the food past them. They were quite annoyed that you declined their food” the older man said as he scratched one of his side burns.

 

“Jell-o and a soggy sandwich? Are they serious? Do you know how much I pay for this place to look after me and that’s the best they could come up with?” Jensen said defensively.

 

Brad laughed. “Well, when you put it like that, I really don’t blame you one bit to be honest with you! I’ve got some phone messages for you too, even though you’ve only been gone a few hours, you‘ve been missed. And I’ve rescheduled your meetings for the rest of the week. Anyway, I better go, it’s not visiting time and there’s only so much sweet talk the nurses will take. I’ll see you soon Jensen. Without the risk of sounding like Jared, try to get some rest, okay? Those girls are the most precious things in your life right now so take it easy”.

 

Jensen had a mouthful of fries which he swallowed quickly. “Thanks Brad”.

 

“No problems boss. Do you need me to do anything else?” the senior employee asked before he left.

 

“No, it’s all good thank you Brad. Loretta is at the house anyway, so she’s feeding Lucy and the puppies so they’ll be good until Jared gets back from Boston. He should be here in a few hours. Now get back to the office and make sure they’re not destroying the place” Jensen said as he opened up the bottle of lemonade.

 

Nodding obediently, Brad left his boss to it.

 

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It was approaching midnight when Jared rushed into the hospital and pleaded with the night staff to see his fiance. On seeing his worried and frantic state, they agreed on 10 minutes to put his mind at ease that Jensen and the babies were just fine. The taxi had brought him straight here from the airport, so he had his luggage in tow. He quietly opened the door to his fiance’s room and walked in. Jensen was fast asleep, almost curled up in a ball, except that his stomach got in the way. His hands were curled around it protectively. He leant over him and gently kissed him on a part of his face that was easy to get to.

 

Jensen stirred and fluttered his eyes open. The first thing he did was look at his watch. He then un-curled himself and sat up when he saw Jared standing there. “Hey. I’m still mad at you for coming back from Boston over nothing!”.

 

“Yeah, well I’m mad at you for not telling me you were here. And besides, you and the girls are not nothing, you are my everything and I love you loads. I’m not leaving you again, whether you order me to or not. At least not until we have the girls safe and sound in our arms” the younger man said assertively.

 

“Fine. So tell me, how did it all go? I know, I know, but I’m not going to be able to truly rest until I know that things went well. Were they pissed that you had to leave early?” the executive rambled on, firing off question after question.

 

Jared put a hand in the air. “Shh. The nurses have only given me 10 minutes with you before they throw me out and that’s only on the condition that I don’t get you all worked up, okay? Yes it went well, very well. I’m in the process of finalising some contracts and got some more contacts for you. And I said that I had a family emergency and they were more than understanding and told me just to email them the rest of the documents. So now you can rest. And I mean rest! So I’m taking everything away from you, files, palmtop and cellphone too. I’ll be back in the morning to come and pick you up”.

 

Jensen didn’t even bother to protest. He was too sleepy and comfortable in the bed. “Okay”. He smiled when his fiance looked shocked. “I know, I’m not protesting, I don’t care. It’s too late and I’m too tired and I’m going to be a good patient and listen”.

 

“Wow! That’s a first, Mr Ackles doing as he’s told” Jared said jokingly.

 

“I know, but I’ve got to haven’t I. There were a few moments earlier when I thought something was wrong. The babies wouldn’t do so well if they were born right now so I’m going to try and take it easier from now on. It’s going to be hard, but I’ll really try” the pregnant man said as he closed his eyes for a second and tuned into the babies movements.

 

“That’s why you should have rang me sooner” Jared chastised again.

 

“And you should have stayed in Boston. But, I’m glad that you’re here though. I missed you, the house felt really strange without you, you know?” Jensen said sincerely.

 

“I missed you too. Now quite stalling again and get some sleep. I’ll ring first thing in the morning, okay?” the younger man said as he planted a kiss on his fiance’s lips.”.

 

Jensen smiled sleepily. “My car is in the parking lot take it home. The keys are on the side table there”.

 

Jared grabbed the keys and bid his fiance a goodnight.

 

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	33. Chapter 33

The next morning, Jared had arrived at the hospital, eager to take his fiance home.

Jensen was up and dressed in fresh clothes that Jared had brought in for him. He was halfway through his morning danish pastry when Dr Lane walked into the room.

Dr Lane frowned somewhat when she saw her patient scoffing the sweet pastry. “How are you feeling this morning?”.

Wiping his mouth on a napkin, the pregnant man nodded. “I feel good. I just want to go home now, no disrespect”.

The physician examined the chart on the end of the bed. “Blood pressure has dropped slightly, so that’s good. But I’m putting you on bed rest for a week”.

“What? A whole week?” Jensen protested.

“You protest and I’ll make it two!” Dr Lane said sternly but with a hint of humour. 

“Fine, a week it is then” the pregnant man said, knowing that he wasn’t going to win this argument.

“Don’t worry, doctor, I’ll be around to enforce that. He’s not lifting a finger!” Jared piped up. “A week of daytime television for you, okay?”.

Dr Lane nodded her head somewhat satisfied before she sat down on the edge of the bed.  
Jensen could sense that something else was on her mind. “Is there something else wrong? I’ll be good, I promise. Complete and utter bed rest”.

“I know. I just wanted to talk to you about some of the blood test results we took from you last night” Dr Lane began.

Jared looked concerned. “Is there something wrong?”.

The pregnant executive grabbed hold of his assistant’s hand and held it tight.

The physician remained calm. “Your blood glucose levels were slightly elevated. Nothing to be concerned too much about at the moment”.

“What does that mean?” Jensen asked worriedly.

Dr Lane pointed to the half eaten danish. “It means you need to cut back on the sugar and pastries. You are borderline for gestational diabetes. You will need to check your blood sugar levels three times a day and if it goes above what it should be, then you’ll need to inject insulin to bring the levels back down. You’ll have to come in more regularly for blood tests too I’m afraid”.

“You take a sample of nearly every one of my bodily fluids anyway, so why not!” Jensen said jokingly, but then turned serious. “So I’ve got diabetes? Will that affect the babies?”.

“No, not as yet. You are only borderline right now. If you can cut out sugar as much as possible and watch what you eat, then you should be okay. But if you can’t get your sugars under control and you develop full blown diabetes, then yes it could affect the babies. I’ll put you in touch with one of the diabetic nurses and they will explain everything to you and show you how to test your blood. I want to see you in 2 weeks for another check up. Hopefully the babies are going to start to turn soon, so we’ll need to assess that and then start to think about a birth plan”.

“O-kay. Wow, this is a lot to take in” Jensen said as he came to the realisation of the situation.

Dr Lane smiled and put her hand reassuringly on her patient’s arm. “Come on now, we’ve come this far, if we can get you to another 10 weeks that will put you at 36 weeks and the babies will stand an excellent chance. You’ve done so well so far. You have just got to take a bit more of a back seat for a while, let other people look after you”.

“Okay, I guess that I can do that. Maybe I should hire someone else? Like a new assistant?” the executive suggested.

“You’re firing me?” Jared asked jokingly.

Jensen shook his head. “No, you are practically my business partner now, I mean an assistant for you! Someone else to run the errands and tie up any loose ends”.

The physician nodded her head. “That sounds like a good idea. Finish off that pastry and then that’s it. Limit it to just once a week and try porridge and honey for breakfast, or fruit. And drink lots of water, rest and then very light duties when you are back in work because I know that you are not going to stay off work”.

Jared nodded his understanding. “Consider it done Dr Lane and thank you very much”.

When the physician left, Jensen looked almost disgustedly at his beloved danish. “Porridge, really?”.

“I know, but you haven’t tried my porridge yet, I promise you, my mom makes amazing porridge, from scratch with oatmeal and a dash of cinammon. It’s delicious, it will change your mind about it, I swear” the younger man said as he tried to placate his fiance.

“It’s worth a try. Why don’t you invite your parents over soon? I’m sure they would love to see you and the new house before the babies are born. Tell them I’ll pay for someone to take care of the ranch for a week and of course I’ll pay for their flights, they just need to hop on a plane, that’s all” the executive said as he scooped up the rest of the offending pastry and threw it in the trash can. If he had cut back on them, he'd rather just cut all ties.

Jared’s face beamed with a smile. “Really?”.

“Yeah. It’s not like we don’t have the room. They have several guest rooms to choose from, and it will give Loretta an excuse to cook up more delicious food, she will love it”. Jensen sighed as he pondered something else. “Do you think Chloe would come and work for me? I mean work for you, you know what I mean. She hates her waitress job and I know her, you know her and she could probably start immediately and it saves me advertising and interviewing. I’ll pay her double what she gets now”.

“Really? I’m sure she will jump at the chance, I really do! Maybe we can invite her and Jimmy over tomorrow night for dinner and you can put it to her then. And I’ll ring my parents later too. Thank you Jensen!” Jared said happily. “Right, that’s enough excitement for one morning, let’s get you home and settled on the couch, okay?”.

Jensen once again didn’t protest. This pregnancy was definitely making him go soft.

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Jared came home from the office, to find Jensen on the couch where he left him, Lucy on his lap and the puppies dozing on the floor below him. He was busy typing something up on his laptop, trying to finalise the paperwork and formalities for setting up his charity.

“What have you done today? Honestly?” Jared asked his boss.

“Honestly? Not a lot. I’ve just finished up some contracts and now I’m putting together the rest of the stuff for the charity. Loretta came by earlier and made me lunch, nice healthy chicken salad and rice and I've just replied to some emails. It was quite nice actually, not being hassled every two minutes and having the phone ring constantly. I feel quite liberated and very chilled out!”.

“Well, that’s the whole idea” Jared said. “That's why it's called bed rest!”.

Jensen looked at the pile of files in his assistant’s hand. “Anything for me?”.

“Er, not really. Just the Boston contracts for you to sign that’s all!” the younger man said as he broke into a big goofy grin.

“No way, really? Oh my God, you are totally amazing, thank you so much! I knew that you could do it” the older man said as he ushered his fiance over to him so he could give him a massive hug. “I’ll sign them afterwards, I need a cold drink”.

Jared was straight to it. “I’ll get it for you!”.

Jensen swung his legs off the couch, much to Lucy’s annoyance. “No, seriously Jared, I can get it. I’ve literally not moved off the couch all day and my ass will be glued to it if I don’t get up soon”.

“Okay” the younger man said as he followed his boss into the large expanse of the kitchen. “I rang my parents, they were delighted and honoured to be asked to come and visit. They are coming next week for a few days, they are super excited and then Chloe and Jimmy are coming for food tomorrow night, as long as you're up for it. Chloe is insisting that she cooks though”.

“That’s fine by me, she’s an excellent cook”. Jensen winced and put his hand up against the underside of his stomach. “Ooh, that was a big one, here, feel, quick!”.

Jared put his hand on the spot and felt something push against his hand with quite some force. “God, that was a big one too. Strongest one I’ve felt!” he marvelled.

“Yes, me too. I think they are fighting and kicking each other in there. There will be none of that when they are born!” Jensen laughed.

“Ha, you say that now, but you are going to be soft with them and they will have you wrapped around your finger so much that you will never be able to say no to them!” the younger man said as he raised an eyebrow.

Jensen sipped thoughtfully at his cold drink. “They will be loved and have both their parents raise them with affection. They won’t be shipped off to anyone else nor neglected. Not like I was. In fact, I was thinking about when I go back to work after they are born. I want them with me. I don't want to miss a single milestone in their lives”.

“What do you mean?” Jared asked, curiously. He never thought he would hear Jensen say something like that. He assumed he'd palm them off with a nanny as soon as they were born so that he could get back to work. He smiled at the display of affection he was showing with their daughters and they weren't even born yet. His parents must have screwed him up so badly- worse than he had initially thought.

“I don’t want someone else raising my children. I’m going to be super busy with the company, but that's nothing new, whereas the girls are going to grow up so quick and I don't want to miss that. They are always going to come first in my life. So I want to convert one of the offices into a creche so that I can keep an eye on them and see them when I want. I’ll hire someone to look after them but I want them with me in work”. Jensen smiled as he cradled his stomach again.

Jared wrapped his arms around his fiance. “I think that’s an amazing idea”.  
“You don’t think it’s paranoia or crazy?” the executive checked. “I've turned into a crazy person since getting pregnant, I know that”.

“No, I think it’s being a good parent. Your parents screwed you over and you don’t want that for our girls, that’s totally understandable. God help whoever you hire to look after them. They are going to have to be someone pretty special!”. Jared could see that Jensen wasn’t himself. “I know you are on bed rest, but how about we go out for dinner? Your choice”.

“Really? Mexican?” Jensen asked hopefully, his eyes lighting up. “I've been thinking about burritos and tacos with guacamole all day actually”.

Jared nodded. “As you wish. Let me go and freshen up and I’ll be down in 5 minutes”.

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Jensen was lying down on the couch when the doorbell rang. 

Jared leapt up immediately. “Don’t you get up, I’ll get it! It’s going to be Chloe and Jimmy”.

The executive could hear the not so eloquent squeal from his fiance’s best friend. Having had enough of lying down, he slowly got up from his supine position and got to his feet, stretching out his back as he went. He couldn't move as quick as he was used to. Although the bed rest was helping with his blood pressure and everything else, his back was protesting being horizontal all day. He made his way into the hallway where he greeted his guests. “Chloe, Jimmy”.

The blonde waitress leapt up and down as she took in the expanse of the hallway. It was her first visit to her friend’s new house after they had moved everything in properly. “Oh, my, God. This place is amazing. I mean, you have electric gates to start with. Freaking, actual electric gates. That’s insane! Holy crap, is that the kitchen in there?”.

Jensen was mildly amused and waved his hand in the direction of the kitchen. “Knock yourself out. I don’t know how to use half the stuff in there, go for it”. He laughed to himself when he heard the blonde scream out at how big the stove and oven was. “I think she approves”.

Jared nodded in agreement. “Jimmy, there’s some beers in the fridge and I’ll get you hooked up with the game on the TV if you like”.

“Thanks man” the photographer said. “I was trying to listen to it on the radio but Chloe was too excited so I couldn’t hear through her squealing. The bits I did hear, it sounded like we weren’t doing too badly”.

“I went to the game the other day. We had courtside tickets man, they were amazing!”. Jared said as he remembered his excitement at practically being able to touch the players.

Jimmy’s eyes lit up. “No way? I’ve only been able to get courtside once before and I practically had to sell a kidney to get them”.

“I’ll get you some for next season” Jensen said nonchalantly, not realising how much of a big deal it was.

“No, I can’t accept that, I mean they are way too expensive….” Jimmy began. He looked around at the house and then at the executives face. “Oh yeah, well thank you. That would be incredible”.  
Jared mouthed a thank at his fiance and led the blonde photographer into the lounge and got the television set up for him.

Jensen was sat in the other lounge whilst Chloe made herself busy in the kitchen. He was going over the leaflets and information that he had been given with regards to his gestational diabetes. It was not only new and overwhelming to him, but scary. He wasn’t the biggest fan of needles and since becoming pregnant he had endured more than his fair share of them. The nurse had shown him how to prick his finger with the needle so that he could check his blood sugars, but hadn’t plucked up the courage to try it out yet. He had the needle poised in his hand and held up his finger before quickly throwing it back down onto the table. 

Jared walked in to find his fiance rubbing at his right temple. “You okay?”.

“Yeah. The diabetic nurse came to see me today. I don’t think I took in anything that she told me. I’ve got pamphlets but they don’t really help much! I just saw the needles and I kinda freaked.” the executive said deflated.

Picking up one of the information sheets, Jared flicked through the first few pages and read through it. “It seems simple enough in the first instance. If your reading is above what it says in here, then you’ll need to inject insulin. To test your blood, just press the button on the tester needle held on your finger and drop a sample of blood onto the test strip”.

Rolling his eyes, the pregnant man sighed. “I know, but it’s a needle. An actual needle and I know how that’s going to feel! As if I haven’t been prodded and poked and tested enough!”.

“It’s not for long though. From what I’ve read, as soon as you’ve given birth, the diabetes should disappear. Besides, it’s only a little prick!” Jared joked, trying to cheer up his fiance.

Jensen shook his head. “Very funny. It’s not the sort of prick that I want prodding me thank you very much. Okay, give it here then!” he said picking up the needle again and pressing it onto his finger. He closed his eyes and was about to press the button before chickening out once again. “I can’t do it!”.

Jared gave his boss’ thigh a reassuring squeeze. “You can. You’ll get used to it. Do you want me to do it for you?”.

“Yeah, do it” Jensen said as he held out his finger willingly and screwed his eyes up as tight as he could get them. Jared’s hand stayed on his thigh as he felt the sharp prick of the needle. It was over in a split second. It hadn’t been as bad as he was expecting it to be. “Ow” he said for effect.

“You didn’t even flinch” Jared said as he dropped the sample onto a test strip. After a few seconds it displayed the reading. “According to the information here, it’s normal”.

“It damn well should be normal. I’ve not had anything sweet today so far and it’s killing me!” Jensen whined. “The babies just don’t understand why daddy isn’t giving them what they want!”.

Jared smiled. “Daddy. It sounds so amazing, right?”. It was the first time that Jensen had actually said that word out aloud.

“Daddy. Oh God. Yeah. I’m going to be a daddy” Jensen said at the realisation. Somehow, things still hadn't quite sank in with him yet.

“Did you not realise until now? I mean the big stomach is a giveaway….” Jared started to say jokingly before Jensen shot up out of his seat with surprisingly good ease.

“Big? Thanks a lot. That’s cheered me up, as if I wasn’t feeling self-conscious about myself already you have just gone ahead and pointed it out to me. You asshole!” Jensen shouted.

Jared tried to placate the other man as he didn't want to make a scene with his best friend and fiance in the next room. “No, Jensen, it was a joke, I meant you know, that the babies are growing, and how could miss the fact that you are….you know what I mean….you look amazing, so wonderful and you are glowing and you’ve got this cute little waddle going on, it’s sweet!”.

“Sweet? I’m fat and now I waddle?” Jensen said angrily as he tried to compose himself. He tried folding his arms across his chest, but failed miserably. “Wow, you are a charmer!”.

“Oh God, this is coming out all wrong Jensen, I’m so sorry. You are not fat, I never said that word, what I was trying to say was….” he paused when he saw the other man start to tear up. “Okay, stop digging Jared, just leave it there”. He gave it a few seconds and then moved up to the other man and wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in closer for a hug.  
Jensen just stayed where he was and didn’t reciprocate.  
“Come on, you know I love you. You are still totally hot right now. In fact if Chloe and Jimmy weren’t in the next room then I’d take you upstairs and show you how I feel about you. Let’s just say you are getting curvy and I love curves. Your body is doing something so amazing right now and I’m so in awe of that. Daddy” Jared added.

The pregnant man sighed and then wrapped his arms around the other man. “I’m sorry, I know that you didn’t mean it. I have no control over these hormones. I cried earlier today because I put my slippers on the wrong feet, it‘s so silly and pathetic. And I miss work, I miss my uncomfortable chair and desk, I miss being bombarded with phone calls every few seconds”.

Jared planted a kiss on his fiance’s forehead then moved down to his lips. “Aw sweetie, it’s not silly or pathetic. You will never be silly and pathetic. And when you get back to work the phones will still be ringing constantly for you, don’t you worry about that”.

“Thank you” Jensen said as he inhaled the scent of the other man’s raspberry shampoo. He pulled away and smiled when he caught a whiff of something. “What’s Chloe cooking in there? Something smells tasty”.

“Some sort of rice dish I think. Paella of some sort but she’s omitting the seafood for you. She’s in her element. She's a pain in the ass sometimes, but damn she can cook. I’ll have a lot of cleaning up to do afterwards though because she’s not the tidiest of cooks” Jared laughed.

Jensen just waved his hand. “As long as the food is good, I don’t care. Loretta is coming over tomorrow to clean so it’s fine. I guess I will have to start getting used to having a messy house what with two babies, two puppies and a cat. Far cry from living alone”.

As if on cue, Chloe appeared in the doorway brandishing a spoon in her hand. “Two minute warning for food guys!”.

Jared smiled and helped his pregnant fiance into the kitchen and into a chair before making up drinks for everybody.

Once the food was served and everyone had started to tuck in, the conversation started to flow.  
“Babe, this food is epic!” Jimmy praised his soon-to-be wife.

Jensen and Jared both nodded in agreement. The younger man looked across at his fiance with a knowing look and Jensen nodded once.

“How’s work been Chlo?” Jared asked his best friend.

Chloe screwed up her nose with a look of disgust. “Crap! Living the dream Jay, not!”.

“Oh that’s good” Jensen piped up. When he saw the look of surprise and confusion on the blonde’s face he continued. “Oh, I didn’t mean, I meant, I have a job proposition for you”.

This time Chloe put her knife and fork down and looked between the three men for a sign that they knew anything about it. “Really?”.

Jensen took another small bite and pondered his next words. Once he swallowed it down he continued. “As you can probably appreciate, I’m getting really pregnant now and tired and I’m going to need more rest in the coming weeks until I deliver which means that I’m relying on Jared more and more to help me out and take over my duties and tasks which means that some of the other stuff is lagging behind. So we need someone to take care of answering the phones, doing some secretarial work, maybe make coffee and tea”.

“So, what Jared used to do?” Chloe asked.  
Jared nodded. “Yeah pretty much. But Jensen is going to make it worth your while, pay double what you get now, not including bonuses”.

“And I’ve got some more photography shoots lined up that I’ll need you for Jimmy” Jensen intervened. “You don’t both have to give me an answer now. If you accept Chloe, you can start straight away. I go back to work in a few days and things are apparently hectic there right now so we’ll need another assistant”.

Jimmy nodded his head. “Yeah of course, I’d be honoured, just let me know where and when and send me the brief. And babe, Chloe, really think about this. This will be amazing for us” he said as he addresses his fiancee.

“I don’t need to think about it. I’ll take it. I’ll ring the diner first thing tomorrow and I can start in two days. This is awesome, thank you so much Jensen. Oh, will I have to have something smart to wear?” the blonde asked suddenly deflated as she thought about her drab wardrobe.

Jensen rifled through his pants pocket and handed over a credit card. “Buy what you need. Most of the woman who work for me wear a mixture of pants suits and skirts and blouses and a few wear dresses, so whatever takes your fancy. It all goes on the work account. I need you to look smart”.

Chloe looked quite emotional at the sentiment. “Wow! Thank you Jensen. You are making it harder and harder for me to call you an asshole now” she joked.

“I’m sure that I can still give you an excuse for that what with these pregnancy hormones running rampant through my body.” the executive said humorously. 

Once everyone had finished their food, Chloe grabbed the dirty plates and piled them up in the kitchen. “This could be the last time I clear tables for other people!” she said happily. “Right dessert time…”.

The pregnant executive frowned. “Oh, count me out”.  
The blonde winked at Jensen. “It’s low fat, low sugar frozen yoghurt with strawberries I got from the farmer’s market this morning. They are naturally sweet and very delicious so that should appease your sugar craving”.

Smiling, Jensen nodded his head gratefully. “Well, in that case…”. Jared had obviously told his best friend about his new predicament.

The evening had gone by in conversation and polishing off every last bit of food and it was late by the time Jimmy and Chloe had left, leaving Jensen exhausted despite being on bed rest all day. He had felt one less burden on him now knowing that Chloe would be around to help so that Jared could take over from him more. He had accepted that he couldn’t carry on with the amount of work single-handedly anymore now that his pregnancy was advancing further and the risks of pre-term labour were too high. Nothing would jeopardise the lives of his daughters. At that moment, as he climbed into bed next to his fiance, he realised how lucky and how grateful he was for everything he had.

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	34. Chapter 34

It had been a long week. A long week of strict bed rest and recuperation for Jensen. When he returned to work the next Monday, Chloe had already done a couple of days in the office and Jared had obviously prepped her well.

He was sat behind his desk, checking his accounts to check that the payments to his parents had stopped when there was a tentative knock on his door. He uttered a ’come in’.

Chloe opened the door and took a few steps into the room. She was dressed immaculately in a three piece suit and had invested in a new haircut and a manicure.

Jensen smiled and looked a tad amused. “I don’t bite”.

Looking embarrassed, Chloe walked up to the desk and placed a tray of food down in front of her new boss. Even though she had spent time with him out of work and seen the softer sides of him, she was still apprehensive as this was the first time she had encountered him in a professional manner. “Your oatmeal and fruit salad and sparkling water”.

Jared had been making oatmeal for his fiance the past few days and Jensen was getting used to the taste of it by now and was actually beginning to acquire a taste for it. As his fiance had promised, it was tasty and the added cinnamon was delicious.

“Thank you”. Jensen rubbed at the side of his belly as it felt like one of babies was literally trying to do a back flip inside of him. “Any messages?”.

Taking out a piece of paper from her pants pocket, she scrolled down the list in front of her. “Jared’s sorted that one, and that one…….er….oh yeah, some whiny bitch kept ringing for you demanding to speak to you personally. She was so rude so I kinda told her to shut the fuck up and get in line. Sorry. Please don't be mad. I'm still learning....”.

Jensen’s face turned serious. He had forgotten that the blonde could sometimes be quite fiery and not be able to hold her tongue. He hoped that it wasn’t a potential client. “Who was it?”.

“I think she said her name was Donna?” Chloe said, oblivious to the name.

The executive remained serious. “That would be my mom then”.

Chloe’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor at the revelation and she felt dread fill her stomach. “Oh crap. Oh no, I’m so sorry, please don’t fire me. It’s just that she…..oh boy, I’m in trouble right?”.

“Did you actually tell her to shut the fuck up?”. Jensen tried not to crack up. This was too good an opportunity to miss out on and he wanted some fun with it.

“Little bit” the blonde admitted as she looked sheepish. “I've fucked it up big time. You've given me an amazing opportunity and I've blown it. Me and my big mouth again....”.

Nodding his head Jensen smiled. “No, it's good. Very good in fact. That’s why I hired you! Next time she rings, tell her she’s a cantankerous dried up old bitch”.

“What?” Chloe said, not sure if the other man was joking or not. “Are you serious?”.

Jensen got up from his chair and stretched out his back. “Deadly serious. I don’t want to speak to or see that woman. Just don’t tell her that I’m pregnant because that pleasure is going to be all mine okay? That’s all that you need to know, for now”. Walking back over to his desk, he sat down and began to dig into his oatmeal, having forgotten for a moment how hungry he was. “You can go now, go find Jared and see what he wants you to do. I’ve got some things that I can get on with up here, I’ll shout if I need you. Thank you. Just, if anyone else calls asking to speak to me, just check with someone before you insult them”.

Chloe nodded as she backed out the room. “Absolutely” she muttered before she left him to it. 

 

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It was the hottest day of the year so far and Jensen’s temper was short-a combination from the sugar withdrawal and increasing pregnancy hormones no doubt. He had called for a meeting in the conference room to go through the latest figures. He had just started his presentation when two late comers snuck into the room and sat in the back.

“Oh! Nice of you to join me! Can’t afford a watch can we? I’m not starting again on this so you’ll just have to catch up. You snooze, you lose! And seeing as you couldn’t be bothered to get in on time, you’ll be reporting to me today, okay?” Jensen said sarcastically. He was aware that he was being short-tempted but he had no control over it and felt like he was a short fuse waiting to blow.

Jared almost had his head in hands at how his fiance was acting. He knew that his fiance hadn’t slept much last night given his constant tossing and turning but he was acting like an utter douche bag today.

“Jake! What the fuck is this? Seriously? Do you really think I can accept this as a business proposal? Just scrap it and start over! We need to get on top of this eco company because we are up for renewal and if we don’t hang onto them then you can all kiss goodbye to any bonuses. Just because I’m pregnant and cutting back on my hours does not mean that you can all swan around the place and cut back on effort and performance. Our shares have dropped this month and that is far from acceptable. Jared is going to become more of a partner so respect him and I don’t want any nonsense from anyone because you are all disposable here! Jesus Christ it’s like the Sahara desert in here can someone open up a Goddam window and get me some water!” the executive shouted across the room.

Jared was up on his feet in half a second and running towards his fiance within a few seconds with a cold glass of water. He took the opportunity to whisper in his ear. “Will you cool it? What the hell is wrong with you today? Just go easy on them?”.

Jensen didn’t care that he was in a room with all of his employees who’s eyes were all focused intently on him. “I am tired, exhausted in fact, because your babies have now decided that they are nocturnal and their new favourite game is kick daddy in the ribs. I want sugar but I’m not allowed. I want to go a whole hour and half without a bathroom break. Everything hurts, my back, my ankles, my legs. This is your fault, you got me into this situation!”.

The younger man was embarrassed at his fiance’s public admissions. “Maybe now isn’t the time to talk about this”.

“You can shut the hell up too!” the pregnant man shouted at someone near the front of the room who had started to giggle. “Fine. I’ll review the figures in another month and if things aren’t any better then some serious changes are going to be made”. Throwing down the papers on the floor, he stormed out of the room.

Clasping his hands together and exhaling slowly, Jared tried to placate the room. “I’ll sort him out, not to worry. Come on guys, chins up, we are actually doing really well and our figures are only down by a fraction of a percent. Keep up the good work, meeting over”. He thought about going up to his boss’ office, but figured Jensen needed to finish letting off any steam and decided to put a plan of action into place. Grabbing his cell phone he made a call.

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Banging on his keyboard as he hastily replied to an email, Jensen winced as the muscles in his back protested his position. It was true he ached from head to toe as his muscles tried to cope with his rapid weight gain. As he leant back in his chair, the door to his office flew open and Jared stormed in. He glared back, giving a deathly stare. “Don’t even start on me, okay because I’m not in the mood today”.

“I know you’re not I think that you made that pretty clear downstairs earlier. But I’ve sorted something out for you so finish up what you’re doing. They’ll be here in a minute, they are just getting their equipment up in the elevator” Jared said.

Jensen’s face still looked grumpy. “What? No, look I just want to be left alone. I’m tired and now I'm not even allowed sugar to keep me going anymore and my back is killing me again. Whatever you've got planned? Just cancel it, please!”.

At that moment, two women appeared in the doorway carrying a fold up table and bags.

“You are getting a massage. Right here, right now. From head to toe, as long as you need it for” Jared said in a ‘ta-da’ voice.

The pregnant man looked intrigued. “Here? How is that even going to work though because I can’t lie on my stomach”.

“That’s alright hon, we’ve got a special table and we can adapt. We do a special package for mom’s and dad’s to be so we are used to it” one of the women piped up.

Eventually, Jensen’s face turned into some sort of a smile at the thought of his knotted and battered muscles being rubbed and massaged. “Fine, let’s do it!”.

Sighing with relief, Jared nodded. “Good. I’ll make sure that no one disturbs you, not that they would dare even try today. I’ve got Chloe confirm some appointments for me and I can work on promotion stuff for the afternoon. Enjoy”.

Jensen felt a pang of guilt for once again behaving badly. “I’m sorry for being an ass……again!”.

Jared laughed. “That’s okay. But just so you know, I’m only going to defend you whilst you are carrying my babies, after that, well you are on your own, okay?!”.

“Fair deal!” the executive said as he watched with fascination as his office now suddenly looked like a massage parlour. Even a privacy screen had been erected in the corner so he could change.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy” the younger man said as he made his way out the door.

Mouthing a ’thank you’ to his fiance, Jensen closed the door and after a moment of feeling self-conscious and insecure about his body and the situation in front of him, his back gave another twinge and the thought of a massage superseded anything else.

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	35. Chapter 35

It was the weekend and the cribs had arrived a few days earlier but Jared hadn’t had the time to do anything with them yet until today.

When Jensen had last checked up on his fiance, it was hard to locate him through the empty boxes, cellophane wrappers and various bits of wood and screws. The thing that gave away the younger man’s presence in the room was the string of profanities coming out from his mouth.

The pregnant man was stood in the doorway and smiled in amusement. “Wow, I didn’t realise that they both came in so many bits and pieces!”.

Jared looked up from behind one of the boxes. “Yeah and this is just the first one. I mean how hard can it be, really? People put these things up all the time, right?”.

Jensen moved into the room and closely surveyed the situation. He caught a glance at the instructions in his fiance’s hand and frowned. It didn't make any sense to him. He never had to learn to do anything practical like this as he usually paid someone to do it for him.

“Okay so I need to screw Piece A onto Piece B to begin with. I just can’t figure out which piece is which. Why can’t they just label them?” Jared said with frustration. 

“I think this one is Piece A.....” Jensen said as he pointed to one of the bits of wood with his left foot seeing as bending down was out of the question.

Shaking his head, the younger man picked up another piece. “No, this is definitely A, it's B I can't work out”.

Grimacing as he surveyed the scene in front of him, the pregnant man gave up. “Look, Jared, I know that you wanted to do this yourself, but if it's too much then I can get someone in to put it together”.

“No” Jared said stubbornly as he got to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants. “It's not too much. You are doing it all so far, and look at how hard it is for you, the toll it's taking on your body. It's incredible how amazing you're managing, so if I have to sit here all day and figure this damn thing out, then so be it. Hell if it takes me all weekend, I don't care, because it will be worth it for our girls. It's the least I can do”.

Jensen smiled at his fiance's dedication. “Okay. Just let me know if you want me to make the call”.

Jared laughed. “Okay, but I'm going to do this”.

“I know you will, that's why I love you! And you say that I'm stubborn. Anyway, I'm going to go to the store, get some things, I'll be back in a couple of hours. Do you need anything before I go?”.

“I'm good” the younger man said as he went straight back to it hell bent on the task in front of him.

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When Jensen got home from the store, he made some sandwiches as he figured that his fiance would have lost track of time and skipped lunch if he got too involved in trying to assemble the cribs. He took the plates of sandwiches up into the nursery to find one crib assembled and being wiped down. Putting the plates down on top of one of the empty boxes, he admired his fiance's handiwork. “Wow it's standing up on its own and everything”. He then turned serious. “It's amazing, thank you. I can't believe there''ll be a little person in there in a few months time”.

“You might have to wait another few months before the other crib is put up! Do you think they can share?” the younger man joked. “At least the other one is identical so I know how to put it together, shouldn't take me too long. Once the first few pieces were put together, the rest came together easily enough”. He picked up the drill from the floor and started to screw some parts together.

Jensen leant down as best as he could and put his hand on top of the drill. “As sexy as you look with the drill, come and eat. I made pastrami and cheese salad sandwiches”.

Jared pressed the lever on the drill so that it fired up and made a sound before he put it down. “I've got a tool belt too!” he said proudly as he got to his feet and did a twirl.

“Mmm, so you have. You'll have to bring it out again later” the executive winked. “Anyway, take a break and eat something. I'll put the mattress in the crib and sort out the soft furnishings”.

Scoffing a sandwich whole into his mouth, Jared continued on stubbornly.

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Jared had finished the cribs, put the mattress down into the second, disposed of the boxes and cleaned and tidied the room until it was immaculate and all finished. The late afternoon sun was coming in through the blinds, illuminating the room perfectly. He wandered into their bedroom to find his fiance snoozing on their giant bed on top of the bed covers. He gently kissed him on the mouth to rouse him from his sleep.

Jensen gently stirred and rubbed at his eyes as he opened them. “Hey. Oh my God, how long was I asleep for? What's the time?”.

“Don't worry about that, you obviously needed the sleep. I've got something to show you. It's all done” Jared said as he gave his fiance a hand to sit up and get off from the bed. He then led him into the nursery where the two cribs were sat proudly next to each other, complete with soft furnishings and a soft plush teddy bear in each, something that he had bought and hidden away from the other man until now.

The pregnant man was beside himself with emotion at how amazing it all looked. He honed in on the two teddies and smiled at his fiance. “Wow, thank you. When did you buy these?”.

“A couple of months ago actually. Just after we found out that we were having twin girls. . That's it, we are all ready for them to arrive. Everything is sorted, no more packing or unpacking, or assembling, disassembling. We can just enjoy our time together before they arrive. I want them to hurry up!” Jared said as he put his hand on the swell.

Jensen smiled as he put his hand on top of his fiance's. “I know. But they need to stay in there for at least another 8-10 weeks. Wow, that's still a long time!”. That felt like such a daunting task given his struggles already.

“Maybe, but look how quick the last 10 weeks have gone by and what we've achieved since then. It will fly by, right? We've got lots of new exciting ventures coming up, the launch of the charity next week, Chloe's wedding in 5 weeks time. And my parents are coming at the end of next week. How about we go for food tonight, saves cooking. I think we're both done in for the day to attempt to cook” the younger man said.

Trying to stifle a yawn, the pregnant man didn't seem as enthusiastic about leaving the house and going out for dinner. “I don't know, I'm exhausted. I'm sorry. I don't know why because you are the one that's done all the work today”.

“That's okay. We can just get a take out, no problem. What do you fancy?” Jared asked as he admired his handy work on the cribs, checking for any screws that needed a few more turns or any wood that needed smoothing off.

“I think Loretta put a pot roast in the fridge last night if you fancy it? It just needs an hour or so in the oven”.

“Sounds good. That woman sure knows how to cook. No wonder you wanted to keep her on. I just need a shower, who knew a day of DIY makes you stink!” the younger man said as he brushed off remnants of cardboard and dust from his clothes.

Jensen sniffed as he got closer to the other man. “Yeah, I'm not going to disagree. I'll let the puppies out for a run in the garden, put the food in the oven and I'll see you downstairs once you're all nice and clean. Plus, I have a surprise for you too”.

“Really?” Jared asked inquisitively. 

“Shower first” Jensen shouted out as he made his way out of the room and into the hallway. 

The executive was sat at the table in the kitchen on his laptop typing something out when Jared appeared, fresh from his shower and towel drying his hair. He looked up just as the other man opened the fridge and guzzled down a bottle of water. His t-shirt rode up and exposed some tanned skin and toned stomach. He had to bite down on his lip to stop a moan from escaping his mouth. His body was teasing him, surges of hormones making him lustful and horny. But he felt far from sexy and sex was the last thing he wanted to do and given the fact that he was exhausted and sore all the time meant that physically he felt he wouldn't be able to perform. Still, he could look. “Nice shower?”.

“Yeah. That monsoon shower is so damn good it should be illegal”. He wandered over to the oven and checked on the pot roast. “God that smells good. Shouldn't need too much longer in there”.

Jensen finished up on his laptop and closed the lid. “Come and sit down” he uttered to his fiance as he signaled to the chair opposite him.

Jared sat down and laughed. “Wow Mr Ackles, it's like I'm being summoned into your office. What have I done?”.

Adjusting the position of his chair so that he was sitting next to him rather than directly opposite him eliminating the formal aspect, Jensen pulled out a small black box from his pocket and pushed it toward his fiance.

“What's this?” Jared asked curiously.

“Open it and you'll see” the older man said in a professional manner.

Opening the box Jared smiled as he saw a beautiful platinum engagement ring with two diamonds set in the middle sat in a velvet lining. It sparkled in the artificial light from above them. “Is this....I mean...”.

Jensen smiled. “It's yours. I thought that you deserved a ring of your own, an engagement ring. It should be your exact size. Try it on”.

Jared carefully pulled the ring out of it's velvet confines as if it were made of delicate glass and put it on his finger. It was indeed a perfect fit. “It's beautiful thank you so much. It must have cost a fortune Jensen! I hope that one day I can afford to buy you diamonds” he said slightly embarrassed.

“Jared? I told you I don't need fancy rings and diamonds. I love my ring because you chose it, you bought it and it's simple. You are my diamond. But you deserve the best because you are the best, you made me who I am today. And the two diamonds in the middle are our girls, shining bright in the centre, the centre of our lives and our hearts”. The executive turned his head away for a moment to try and hide his face as he battled to get his emotions into check at the sudden sentimentality that was out of character for him.

Luckily the other man was so enthralled by his ring that he didn't notice. “Thank you. I love it and I love you”. He leant over and kissed his fiance on the lips. “Just one thing though, supposing we have another baby?”.

Jensen playfully slapped his partner on the cheek. “One at a time. Or...two in my case. So you should definitely have the next two babies! I'm off the hook after this for sure”. He exhaled slowly as he took back control of his emotions.

“Really? You want more children?” Jared asked curiously. “Mr Bachelor”.

“I'll let you know in a few months time. But I wouldn't trade what I have now for my old life again. Looking back, I guess I was, unhappy, alone. My career was my life and I knew nothing else, I didn't want anything else, or anyone else in my life, or I thought I didn't. There was something intriguing about you from the very first day I saw you and interviewed you” Jensen admitted.

“You said you had only hired me because I was the last person there and you didn't have time to find anyone else and therefore hired as a default”. Jared looked on with fascination and curiosity. It was a rare moment when his boss and fiance opened up about aspects of his personal life so he let him continue.

Jensen smiled. “Do you honestly think that I would hire someone just on a whim? You know what my company means to me. There was a guy before you that was highly qualified and would have had the job, should have had the job, but there was something about when you walked into my office. I'm not sure what it was but I saw potential, stubbornness, determination. Like I said, you intrigued me and I took a risk. And I don't have any regrets about it at all”.

Jared got to his feet and put his arms around his fiance and held him tight. “Let's just say that we both saved each other from ourselves and changed our lives for the better”.

“Absolutely. Now enough mushy crap, let's eat, I'm starved” Jensen said as he got to his feet and pulled out the dish from the oven.

The younger man stayed standing on the spot looking morose.

Jensen put the food down on the table. He smacked his lips against his fiance's and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. When he pulled away he winked playfully before sitting down to eat, prompting the younger man to follow suit.

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Chloe was sat in the coffee room painting her nails at the table whilst she sipped her coffee and flipped through some wedding magazines, when Jared wandered in for a refill. 

“What's up Chlo?” the assistant said happily as he waved his left hand around trying to show off the new addition.

The blonde was too occupied to notice at first until she saw that her friend was waving his hand around purposefully. She was about to ask if he had a problem with his hand when she noticed someone glinting- and then she saw it. “Oh my God! You got a ring! Lemme see!” she said grabbing her best friend's hand before realizing that her nail polish was still wet and she had smudged it. “Crap”.

Jared smiled as he held out his hand. “Yup. He gave it to me last night”.

“Why didn't you tell me? Ring me up? Send me a picture message?” the blonde assistant said excitedly. She had forgotten about the disaster with her nail polish for a split second.

“Because I wanted to show you in person. Besides, we were already engaged so it's not that much of a big deal” Jared said modestly.

Chloe was trying to sort out her smudged polish. “Yeah but he gave you a ring and I'm pretty sure that it cost more than my annual salary”.

Laughing as he took a sip from his mug he nodded as one of the girls from advertising came in. “Anyway, hows the new job going?”.

“It's amazing actually. I get more pay, I get to look glamorous. And I get to work with you and today Jimmy is coming in to do a photo shoot so I get to fawn over my husband-to-be and get paid for it, so yeah I love it!”. Chloe then lowered her tone of voice. “And Jensen's not actually that bad!”.

“Ha, well I hate to be a killjoy but there's a stack of papers and contracts that I need photocopied and posted off by this afternoon, so no 'fawning' over anyone until they are done missy or I am in the doghouse with the boss!” Jared joked. “Ring or no ring!”.

“Fine, Mr Bossy. But you've got him twirled around your little finger so he'll forgive you” Chloe said as she got to her feet and washed up her empty mug in the sink. 

“Not if those contracts aren't posted out today, one of them is worth over 2 million dollars!” Jared said sternly but with a hint of playfulness.

“They'll get done don't worry. But we seriously need to do something about the coffee in here because it tastes like ass” the blonde admitted.

Jared screwed his nose up as he took another sip from his mug. “Yeah, you're right. I'm only drinking it because I need the caffeine right now. Feel free to get a different brand and make it up. You always did make a great coffee in the diner”.

Lois walked into the coffee room and sniffed the coffee pot and then decided against it.

“I'm getting us some proper coffee later Lo” Chloe quipped.

“You are a doll” Lois chimed in. Her disappointment at the bad coffee turned into excitement when she saw the wedding magazine. “O.M.G 5 weeks, right?”.

Chloe could barely contain her excitement. “Yeah, I can't wait, you have no idea how excited I am”.

“Have you got the dress sorted yet? And what are you doing with you hair sweetie. Oh you should totally curl it but leave like a few strands down to frame your face.... right let's talk make-up” Lois said as she hooked her arm through the blonde assistant’s and trundled off together down the corridor leaving Jared with his mug of disgusting coffee.

He took another sip of coffee before throwing the rest down the sink. “God, that really does taste like ass”.

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	36. Chapter 36

Jensen's door was open, so Jared pushed it open a little to find his boss sat behind his desk, head back, hands wrapped around his stomach and his eyes closed.

“Jensen?” the younger man began before he was cut off with a shushing noise.

“Quiet. And come over here. Give me your hand, quickly” the pregnant man said as he took his fiance's hand and placed it on a spot near his belly button.

Jared was about to ask what he was meant to be feeling for when he felt a sudden jolt from within. “Wow. What was that?”.

Jensen's voice remained a whisper. “I think one of the babies has got hiccups. I think, it must be! She was going crazy just now when I ate a popsicle”. When he saw the look of disapproval on the other man's face he rolled his eyes. “Sugar free!”.

Another jolt excited the younger man. “Wow. This is insane right now. What does it feel like?”.

“Like hiccups but just deeper inside me. She's been doing it for five minutes now. My whole belly is vibrating. It's the strangest feeling, but amazing. Oh....it's stopped....” the pregnant man said disappointingly. “Oh well”. He cleared his throat and sat forward in his seat and arranged some papers. He shook his head to brush off the feelings and bond with his babies he had in that moment. He needed to be the big bad boss in work. “Anyway, have the contracts been posted out?”.

“I've just watched Chloe send them off in the mail” Jared said. “Here are the promotion packs that you wanted for the charity launch”.

Jensen looked at his watch. “Oh crap yeah. I've got that meeting downtown. God I'm starving. I don't know if I'm going to be able to make it in time if I stop for lunch. I just don't know where my head is at recently”.

Jared checked his watch. “How about you give that sandwich shop a ring, place an order, pick it up on the way through and I'll drive you there saves you trying to park. You shouldn't be stressing and rushing around anymore. Or skipping food for that matter. Have you had a chance to check your bloods today yet?”.

The pregnant executive looked a little sheepish. “Yeah. They were low, hence the popsicle”.

“I thought you said it was a sugar free one?” Jared asked, confused.

“Ah, yeah. Dammit” Jensen realised. “Jeez, my brain is literally turning to mush!”.

“You should have rung me. I'd have brought you food. That's what I'm here for. You need to be looking after yourself more Jensen. There's two other people involved too that's relying on you. That's why we hired Chloe” the younger man said seriously.

“I know, I know! You know what I'm like sometimes when I get started on something, I get side-tracked. I'll ring the sandwich place on the way down to the car. You want anything?” Jensen asked as he grabbed the papers and put them in the briefcase. Before he had a chance to grab the handle to pick it up, the younger man beat him to it.

“It's heavy” Jared said as he rolled his eyes.

“Fine! Just so I know, are you going to be like this for the rest of this pregnancy Mr mother hen? Because if so it's going to be a long 10 weeks or so!” the pregnant man said as he adjusted the buttons on his suit jacket and frowned when he realized that he would need to buy yet another size bigger soon.

Jared nodded. “Yup!” he said as he started his long strides out of the office.

“Great, fucking great!”.

 

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Jensen was stood by the full length mirror in the bedroom and examined his appearance. He had picked up some new suits a few days ago. They were scattered on the bed behind him. He was just doing up the buttons on his jacket when his fiance wandered in.

“Looking good Mr Ackles!” Jared said as he put his arms around his fiance and tried bringing them around the front of his stomach but found that they couldn't quite reach. He quickly brought his hands back up as not to make too much of a big deal about it.

“I know you are just being nice, but I appreciate it thank you. I just don't see how I can get any damn bigger. I don't think there's going to be enough material to make my next set of suits to be honest. I'm just nervous about this charity launch today that's all” Jensen admitted as he fiddled around with the buttons on his jacket, doing some up and letting some others open.

“Really? You are the ice queen Jensen. You are the epitome of advertising campaigns, a big hot shot executive. You are unflappable, the best!” Jared said in disbelief but then stopped when he realised he just sounded like a kiss-ass now.

Jensen waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah I know I'm good, I'm not worried about all of that, this is small fry. But I've never done it before like this, you know in the spotlight and being so pregnant. There's no way I can pass this off as anything else other than being pregnant. I can't risk the publicity until I've finalized everything with my parents. They can't find out yet and they certainly can't find out like this!”.

“Okay, it's okay. They won't have to find out. We'll make sure that you are not in any of the photographs that's all. It's easy enough to do” Jared said as he tried to keep his pregnant fiance from stressing out anymore.

“They are going to want me in the photographs. There's huge publicity surrounding this. I'm cutting the red tape to open up the charity office, there will be cameras going off in every direction” Jensen said as he continued his stressing out.

“Not if you give Jimmy exclusivity on the launch as the official photographer. You can stand at the back or just get you from the waist up. There's ways around it” Jared said practically.

Jensen planted a huge kiss on his fiance's mouth and hugged him tight. “You are a genius! Jimmy! Of course. He's in the office today editing his shoot from the other day, he can be released for a couple of hours to get cover on this. I'll give him a ring now”.

An hour later, they turned up at the charity launch to a magnificent buffet laid out across several tables. There were banners and balloons everywhere and a small team were standing around in custom made t-shirts with the charity logo on.

The executive shook hands with everybody and commended them on how good the office looked and how well the fund-raising activities were going so far. The charity now had a direction- to help care for sick or under-privileged children in the city and with scope to extend that for outside the city depending on need. Most of the money had come from Jensen's own pocket. The main aim of today was to raise awareness of the charity, not only for those who needed help, but for people to donate to. He wanted to go big on the promotion for the charity but not to draw too much attention to himself.

Jared helped himself to some food and mingled with the crowd just as Jimmy rocked up with his camera in tow.

“Where do you want me?” the photographer asked as he started to unpack his camera and set up his tripod.

“Thanks for coming man, much appreciated” Jared said as he held out his plate of food.

Jimmy grabbed a handful of food appreciatively. “The boss wants me here, who am I to say no to him”.

“Look he's freaking out about this. I mean can you work some magic on this, and make sure you can't tell that he's pregnant from these photographs” the assistant said.

The photographer just winked. “I figured, what with the whole secrecy thing surrounding the babies.......no worries, I'll do what I can, okay? And if not, then I'm sure I can work my mojo on photo editing”.

“Thanks bud” Jared said as he patted the photographer on his back. He looked around the crowd of people and spied his fiance and business partner at the back shaking hands and talking. He excused himself and headed over to him. “How are you doing?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Not too bad. I think that they are ready for us to cut the ribbon. Any chance I can stand behind the cake?” he asked nervously.

“It's fine. Jimmy is on the case and he knows exactly what to do, okay? Don't worry” Jared said before gathering everyone up and getting them into position for the photo shoot of the official opening. 

The executive tried his best to relax as Jimmy snapped away with his camera and took several shots as he posed with the scissors in hand and then cut the ribbon to the applause of everyone in the room. 

Before the photographer put his camera away, he scrolled through the pictures on the digital display and nodded his head. With a few tweaks in the editing he could easily hide the executive's advancing condition although the way he was stood did hide it somewhat.

The rest of the launch was more relaxed and Jensen was impressed by the the hard work that had gone into it by everyone involved. The fund-raising office he hoped would just be the start of the charity.

Jensen looked around the room and smiled at the logo which said “J and J's Help For Children” and he spied his fiance. He went over and took his hand and gave him a massive smile.

Jared took that moment to plant a quick kiss on his lips and give him a wink.

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Jared appeared in his boss's office the next morning and threw down a newspaper on the executive's desk open on the page with a glossy picture of the opening from the day before and a few paragraphs with the description of the launch to gain publicity.

Jensen ignored the picture in the first instance and read through the text and sub-texts which had been carefully constructed by him and written by one of the members of the advertising team. His eyes then wandered over to the photograph, spread out over most of the page. Apart from his face looking a little puffy there was no evidence of him being pregnant. Jimmy had excelled in his photography skills and the quick editing. He was glad that his shirt and jacket were a dark colour to disguise his pregnancy. It was imperative that his parents didn't find out about the pregnancy just yet until everything had been finalized. Plus he wanted the pleasure in announcing it to his parents himself. “Wow, it looks good!”.

“It really does! This is going to work, it's going to take off” Jared said excitedly.

“I think so too. I've had messages and phonecalls galore in the past hour. My mom has left me a voicemail message too. That one wasn't so encouraging” the pregnant executive said as he looked slightly amused and pressed the play button on his machine. 

Donna Ackles' shrill voice boomed over the machine. “Jensen? What the hell is this? I've just seen an article in the San Francisco Times about you launching some charity? Without our consent and backing? Seriously? J&J, what's that all about? You know you need to consult with us before you do something like this. And you need to watch your carbs intake because your face is looking a little puffy. For crying out loud Jensen, stop ignoring me and answer your damn voicemail!”.

Jared watched in amusement as his boss merrily pressed the delete button. “Wow! They must be in San Fran for them to get The Times already”.

Jensen shook his head. “Nuh uh. No way. They are somewhere very exotic right now. They've probably got an online subscription because they are always ringing me up if they see something in the paper about the company that they don't like, or if they see a drop in the shares or stock market that I'm involved in they are quick to pick me up on that. They could be on the other side of the world but they can still criticise me and be a pain in my ass. As long as I don't have to actually see them, I don't care!”.

Jared felt a slight pang of guilt towards his fiance that he got on so well with his own parents. “Are you sure that you are okay with my parents coming over on the weekend? It's just going to be too much for you”.

“Jared? I've got it all covered. Besides I was the one that invited them over and booked their flights. Plus Loretta has got the guest room and bathroom all ready and she's been stocking up the freezer with delicious food. She's cooked up a feast for us on Saturday night. I can't fit another thing in our freezer. Just because my parents are assholes and I can't stand them doesn't mean that I don't want to get to know your parents a little bit more. Plus they seem to like me for some reason that I can't fathom and I want our girls to have loving grandparents so I'm absolutely okay with your parents coming over. I'm not stressing about it so don't you, just enjoy. And tonight, I'm taking us out for food. There's a new restaurant opened up downtown and I've got us a table to celebrate our new venture and the successful launch of our charity”.

“Hang on, I'm meant to be the calm one here and be in control and try to keep you grounded right now” Jared said sheepishly as he felt embarrassed at how he let himself freak out momentarily. The truth was he was just worried about his fiance and the stress on him. Getting himself back together again, he turned his attention to another pressing matter. “How have your blood sugars been today? We've got that appointment with Dr Lane tomorrow”.

“Fine” Jensen said. When the other gave him a look of doubt he rolled his eyes. “I'll show you on the chart if you don't believe me. I hate to say it but your oatmeal that you've been making me every morning has more than satisfied my cravings for my morning pastries”. He grimaced as one of the babies suddenly felt like she had done a somersault even though he doubted it because they were running out of room. “I think these two will be enrolling in gymnastic class soon”.

Laughing, Jared smiled nervously. “I think she'll be going over birth plans for us. Ready for that?”.

Jensen got to his feet and winced again at one of the baby's protests. “Is keeping them in here an option by any chance? They don't really need to come out, right?”. A kick to his ribs made him chance his mind. “Ow, maybe they do!”.

Jared pointed to the water cooler. “Water?”.

“Yes please” the pregnant executive said as he worked out a kink in his back with one of his hands. He took the water from his fiance appreciatively. Bending down to get something so simple as a glass of water was becoming a challenge these days. “Thank you”.

“Okay so picture this” Jared began. “A state of the art birthing suite, maybe a birthing pool in the corner. Your favourite music playing in the background, beautiful lighting and an assortment of different pain killing drugs at your side. And I know you hate needles but there's always an option for an epidural if things get bad”.

“Wow, I think that you have almost managed to sugarcoat the prospect of childbirth. Almost” the older man chimed when he saw a smug look on the other man's face.

There was a knock on the door to which Jensen shouted out 'come in'. It was Chloe. “Morning. Jensen, your 12pm meeting is here. I know they are early, would you like me to make them coffee? I've bought the good stuff, it's going down a treat”.

Jensen moaned inwardly at the thought of a good cup of coffee. He looked at his watch. “That would be great. I've just got to send a few emails and return some calls and I'll ring you when I'm ready for them. I shouldn't be too long and then I'll see him early, may as well. Thank you Chloe”.

Jared looked longingly at the blonde and smiled.

“Jared? Do I look hot today or something or do you just want me to make you a cup of coffee?” Chloe asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

“Well, I mean you always look hot Chlo! And that dress is smokin'. And, well since you are offering, a cup of coffee would be amazing, thank you” the assistant replied nonchalantly. “I just can't seem to make it as good as you”.

“Foamed milk, dash of hazelnut and vanilla sprinkles on top?” Chloe said temptingly.

“It would be rude not to” Jared said in a posh voice.

Chloe grabbed a pile of mail from the out-box on her boss' desk. “Jensen? Can I tempt you? I've got decaf and sweetener instead of sugar”.

Jensen's face turned into a beaming smile. “Oh my God, yes please. And yes you are smokin' hot today” he joked. “Definitely that dress”.

“Shut it you two. I think it will take a lot more to turn you Jared. God knows, I tried for years” Chloe said as she winked. She then turned professional again, determined to prove herself. “Two coffees coming right up”. As she turned on her heels, her best friend hollered her back. “Yeah?”.

“My parents are coming down Saturday, remember? They would love to see you and meet Jimmy. Will you be there?” Jared asked.

When she looked at the executive he nodded his head and smiled. “Of course. Would you like me to bring anything?”.

Jensen shook his head. “Just yourself and Jimmy. Seriously, we'll be already eating the food that Loretta has planned well into next week as it is. So just bring a good appetite”.

Chloe nodded. “That I can do I'm sure. Now get back to work and don't check out my ass as I leave, okay?” she joked.

Jared looked serious but as soon as his best friend had turned and was halfway out the door he said “Mmmmhhhmmm!”.

Jensen tried to suppress a laugh as Chloe shook her head.

“Can I do anything for you? Return some of the emails or phonecalls?” Jared asked.

“No, it's okay. They are things that I need to sort out myself. I need you down on the floor with Brad. We've got a launch we need to work on. I need you on that” the executive said as he got back on his computer and started to delete through his unwanted emails.

“No problems. You know where I am if you need me, okay?”.

“Oh and the table is booked for 6.30pm. I know it's a tad early but I thought we'll just work on a little bit and head straight there saves going home and then back out. I just get too tired these days” Jensen said as he tried to stifle a well timed yawn.

“It's a date then Mr Ackles” Jared smiled.

“Get to work Mr Padalecki” the executive said in a tongue and cheek way.

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The food in the restaurant was out of the this world. It still shocked Jared at how Jensen just took out his card and paid without even checking the amount it had cost. Jared had nearly had a heart attack at the cost, but to Jensen it was just pocket money. It was times like this he had to pinch himself at how he was now living.

They were outside the restaurant waiting for their cab when Jensen’s breath hitched and he grabbed onto his fiance’s arm.

“Jensen? What’s wrong?” Jared asked worriedly.

“Jeff….what the hell…..what are the chances, of all the people and places…..” the pregnant executive said as he watched his ex lover clutching another man as he puffed on a cigarette. “How can he even afford to eat out around here, he's practically bankrupt”.

“Let’s…..come on….just go…we’ll walk around the corner and flag down another cab from there” Jared suggested as he grabbed his lover’s arm.

“No” Jensen said as he shook his head forcefully. “I’m not moving from here, why should I? We've booked a cab and it should be here any minute”.

The commotion from the older man’s protesting had drawn attention to themselves and Jeff looked towards them and smirked. He muttered something to the man he was with and watched him walk off around the corner. “Well….what do you know…..we meet again….”.

“I’m not in the mood Jeff!” the pregnant man said as he put a hand protectively over his stomach as if to shield the babies' ears from his voice.

Jeff eyed up the swell of the pregnant man’s stomach. “Shouldn’t you be squeezing out your brat right about now? I'll give you one thing though, I hope you paid the person well who photo edited your picture in The Times because they didn't do a bad job. Trying to hide your special little condition from people are we? I might have a use for that picture later on tonight if I get bored. Going to be hard to erase the sight of you right now though. I mean Jesus…look at the size of you…how many sprogs are you carrying in there! The words beached whale spring to mind”.

“Twins” Jensen said calmly, not rising to the taunts of his deceitful ex lover. “Two beautiful baby girls…”.

“Wow, I’m glad that I’ve traded you in for a fitter hot new piece of ass, which is more than I can say about yours right now judging by the size of it, holy crap, I’m surprised you can fit it in a chair….yup….he’s definitely the best sex ever….a pretty good fuck…..and rich….a lot richer than you in fact. I figured I’d keep on fucking him for a couple more months and then maybe screw him over like I did with you. I figured that guy won’t miss, say, 2 million” Jeff snarled. “The guy is even more arrogant than you and naïve. I managed to suck you in….”.

“You’re sick” Jensen said. “I’ve got a family, and you…..you are going to end up a sad and very lonely old man. It doesn’t matter how much money you steal, you’ll just gamble it all away and end up with nothing as always. Because look where stealing my money got you!”.

“Nope, not this time. I’m going to buy back my share of my own company that you stole from me” Jeff said.

“Good luck with that! I’ve wrapped that up in so many different layers of laws and procedures that it will cost you that much just to even try!” the executive said smugly. “Not going to win that one!”.

Jeff’s upper lip started to twitch. “How’s mommy and daddy these days? Do they know about your ‘lifestyle’ and bastard children yet? I heard they’re residing in the French Riviera for the time being?”.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know and I don’t really care”.

“Oh, really? So they wouldn’t mind a little phone call then?” Jeff said, making empty threats that he knew that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill. It was the last act of a desperate man.

“Go ahead, it would save me the hassle. You can tell them that I’m engaged and bought a fabulous house too, that would be great, thank you!” Jensen said. “Come on Jared, let’s go, there’s a bad smell around here all of a sudden” he said as they started to round the corner.

Jared just glared at Jeff and shook his head in disgust. “You okay?”.

Jensen nodded his head. “Yes, of course”.

“Aren’t you worried about him getting in contact with your parents?” Jared asked nervously.

Laughing, the pregnant executive shook his head. “No, he hasn’t got anything on me. Besides, I had an email off my parents the other week and they’re in the Caribbean somewhere. He’s bullshitting like he always does and he’s floundering and knows it”.

Stepping out onto the road a little bit and raising his hand in the air, Jared managed to flag down a vacant cab. After checking with the driver it was theirs, he then turned back to his fiance. “Home?”.

Rubbing at his stomach as the girls kicked him, he nodded his head and then kissed his fiance. “Yeah, home”.

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	37. Chapter 37

 

Jensen was lying down on the examination table dressed in the familiar flimsy hospital gown as he nervously awaited the arrival of Dr Lane. “This doesn't get any easier!”.

 

“Yes, but each time we come here, makes it closer to when we have the babies” Jared said diplomatically.

 

“Mmmm, like I said, it doesn't make it any easier” the pregnant man said as he readjusted his position on the bed. “One of the babies is definitely on the move. It feels like she's trying to do somersaults. Kept me up most of the night too”.

 

“I thought you were restless” the younger man said as he put his hand on his fiance's leg to try and calm his nerves.

 

“I'm sorry” Jensen apologized as he squirmed around on the table again. “Maybe I should go and sleep in one of the spare rooms”.

 

“It's fine, don't worry. I didn't mean it like that. Besides, we need to get used to broken sleep once the babies are born, because we'll be up all night then! Just let me know next time and I'll try to help you get more comfortable”. Jared looked at the door just as the physician walked in.

 

“Good morning” Dr Lane said happily as she flicked through her chart and nodded, reasonably satisfied with what she saw. “Okay your blood sugar looks good, as does your blood pressure. I just need to weigh you and check the babies' size and position”.

 

Jensen winced. “Weigh me? Is that really necessary?”.

 

“Afraid so. You don't have to look if you don't want to. I just need to check the babies' size because of the gestational diabetes, babies tend to be bigger. Since you are only borderline and you seem to have things under control with your blood sugars, things should be okay” the physician reassured.

 

The pregnant man begrudgingly got off the table and stepped onto the scales as he watched the needle creep its way up and up. Nonetheless, the doctor seemed satisfied with the result. With his fiance's help, he managed to scramble back up onto the table and prepared himself to be poked and prodded.

 

Dr Lane washed her hands and started to dry them. “Have you had any thoughts with regards to your birth plan?”.

 

Jensen looked at his fiance for reassure. “Natural, birthing suite and your finest selection of pain relief drugs”.

 

“Okay, but we need to go over other options too. You may need to have a C-Section so we'll have to go over those details too. It's a high risk delivery so it all depends on the position of the babies and what your blood pressure does. You need to prepare yourself for that possibility. Before we think about that, can I just see where the babies are?” the physician asked as she was poised ready with her hands.

 

“Sure” the executive agreed as he flinched in discomfort at the invasion of his personal space and the pushing. “Ah”. It wasn't something that he was getting used to.

 

“Sorry, I just need to press a little harder” Dr Lane said apologetically. “Okay, well done, I'm all finished”.

 

The pressure in his abdomen was getting intense and he tried to sit himself up. Luckily his fiance was on hand to assist him. “How are they doing?”.

 

“Well, one of the babies has turned head down, but the other one is lying across the top of her. If she hasn't turned by now, then I don't think that she will because there's just not enough space left for her to do so. There's a chance once the first baby is born, that she'll suddenly turn before she comes out, but I wouldn't hold out much hope so my professional recommendation is that you have a C-Section. This can be scheduled or we can wait until you go until labour and see how we go. If things start to go wrong, then we can take you into the OR and get the babies out within minutes, but obviously it will be safer if we schedule something before you go into labour”.

 

Jensen blew out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. This wasn't what he was prepared for. “Okay, so what will happen with a C-section then? I was kind of hoping for a relaxing experience in a birthing suite, music, birthing pool”.

 

“You can still have that. But instead of letting you go all the way to the pushing stage, we'll take you into the OR. Labour will probably be long so we'll have time, but it's more risky and I personally wouldn't recommend it. But with the C-section we'll take you into the OR, give you an epidural, get you all nice and numb so you won't feel a thing. Jared will be with you the whole time. I'll make an incision and get the first baby out and I'll show her to you, then I'll do the same thing with the second baby, get you all stitched up and back to your room as soon as possible and then you'll see the babies and get to hold them. It's a big operation and you'll be sore afterwards and limited to just holding the babies, no lifting for a few weeks but it's the safest option if the baby doesn't turn. I've got you this far so I'm not going to let you down at the last hurdle” the experienced physician assured.

 

“If that's what you think best. I know you are doing the best thing for Jensen and our babies” Jared said as he tried his best to give the other man a smile of reassurance and support.

 

“Let's book a date then I guess” Jensen said as he resigned himself to the fact that this was the best option for the safest delivery.

 

“It will be fine. I'll be with you” the younger man said as he grabbed the worried pregnant man's hand.

 

Dr Lane nodded her head. “Okay, I'll schedule you in for 36 plus 6, not a day more than that. How about August 26th?” she said as she went through her schedule on her planner.

 

Jensen nodded after a second as if he were too was going through his planner to see if he could accommodate that plan. “August 26th is is then”.

 

Dr Lane smiled as she typed it in on her computer system. “Obviously if you go into labour before that when we'll have to do it then. But just keep taking it easy for the next 8 weeks or so. I'll see you again in 4 weeks, then it will probably be once a week after that I'm afraid, but as we get closer to your due date we need to keep a closer eye on the babies and try our best to avoid pre-term labour”.

 

“Thank you” Jensen said sincerely. “Just, out of interest, is there anything I can do to get her to turn?”.

 

“I'm afraid not. It's up to her. But her sister is not going to make it easy for her. If it were one baby then we could try to flip her, but because she's lying on top of her sister, it's too risky I'm afraid. I'll get you all booked in and set up ready for the C-section date and if you have any questions in the meantime then you know how to reach me. You know that I don't need to emphasize to you the importance of minimizing stress to keep your blood pressure down and keep checking your bloods. And I really don't want to sound like a broken record or nag you, but have you cut down your hours in work yet?” Dr Lane asked her patient.

 

Jared was glad that the physician was on his side and that she was nagging him about cutting down too. He kept his mouth shut and looked towards his fiance.

 

“Well.......I've enlisted more help, Jared will be taking over as much as he can and I'm trying to finish earlier in the days now. Sometimes I'm so tired, I don't have any choice” the executive admitted. “I'm really trying to”.

 

Dr Lane nodded but only smiled weakly. “Okay, well that's a start. Just listen to your body, it will tell you when you need to slow down and rest, there's no shame in admitting defeat and going home for a nap. You think about what your body is doing right now. Next time I see you, I'm hoping you'll be pretty much be started on your paternity leave. I cannot stress this too much how much you need to start seriously slowing down”.

 

Jensen nodded in agreement. “Light duties, work more from home. That's the best that I can do”.

 

“Good. Look after him” the physician said to the younger man before she left them to it.

 

Whilst the pregnant man got himself dressed, Jared flicked through his palm top. “August 26th”.

 

Jensen was just doing up his tie. “Yeah”.

 

Jared had a massive smile on his face. “Ours babies' birthday. We get to know their birthday in advance. How awesome is that?”.

 

Appointments and schedules was what he lived and worked for and knowing that his babies were following suit, he relaxed somewhat at the prospect of delivering them via a planned C-section. He liked to be in control of everything that went on in his life. At least this option put him back in control. “Yes, that's wonderful in fact. Just less than 8 and half weeks and counting”. He rubbed at where one of the babies were kicking him. His lack of sleep last night was already catching up on him and it wasn't even lunch time yet. “I think I might go home, get some rest, take Dr Lane's advice, do you think you can handle things on the floor today?”.

 

“Sure. Absolutely. Do you need anything?” Jared asked his fiance as he helped him up.

 

“No, it's fine thank you. I'll see you later on, okay? I think Loretta will be over later, she wants to finish sorting out the spare room and do some prep work in the kitchen for your parents arrival tomorrow afternoon. Are you able to cover my 3pm meeting? Or get Brad to attend?” the pregnant executive asked.

 

“Sure thing, don't worry about that, we'll cover that for you, it's only a follow up” Jared said. “Do you want me to drop you off at the house first?”.

 

Jensen shook his head. “No I'll call for a cab. You take the car and get straight to the office, make a start on the day's work and prep work for the pharmaceutical company. I'll probably head straight to bed to be honest so I'll have my cellphone off for a couple of hours. If you need me urgently, ring the house phone or just leave a message on my cell....”.

 

Jared put his hand on his fiance's shoulder. “Jensen? It's nothing that I can't handle for a couple of hours, okay? It's nothing that I and your team can't handle at all. Start loosening the reigns a bit more”.

 

“Fine. Get going then” he joked. “I'll see you later” the executive said as he waved off his assistant after kissing him tenderly on the lips. When Jared disappeared out the door, he sat back down on the examining couch for a moment as he looked around the room filled with posters of childbirth and various stages of pregnancy. It was then that the full weight of the prospect of actually having the babies dawned on him. Having a c-section was risky, but then giving birth naturally would also be just as risky, maybe even more so. He knew that Jared was staying strong for him and he almost envied that because inwardly he was freaking out about this immensely. His girls kicked him gently as if to reassure him that they would be okay. Just as he was about to get back up, Dr Lane appeared in the room and grabbed a file from the desk.

 

“Jensen! Sorry, I didn't see you in here, I thought you had left already! Everything okay?” the physician asked.

 

Jensen got to his feet and straightened out his jacket and cleared his throat. “Yes, sorry, it took me a while to.......get dressed” he lied.

 

The physician could sense his apprehension. “Now that Jared isn't here, you don't have to hide your anxiety over this from me. If you think of anything that you want to ask me, you know my number, just ring my office and I'll get back to you. But my promise still stands, I'm with you the whole way with this, right until the end until you have your babies safe in your arms. But talk to Jared too”.

 

Nodding his head, Jensen felt a little better. “Thank you. I'm off home to bed now for some sleep. I'm following your advice”.

 

Dr Lane smiled. “I'm glad to hear it” she said as she held up the file and headed out through the door.

 

Patting his stomach affectionately, Jensen nodded his head. “We can do this”.

 

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That evening, Jared was getting ready for bed when he realised that Jensen was still downstairs. He had said he was just going to finish up on something and he would be right up, but time was getting on and he was yet to make an appearance. Sighing, he trudged down the stairs to find his fiance in the lounge, writing on pieces of paper, with a tub of ice cream by his side.

 

“Jensen? It's late, come on, come to bed”. Jared pleaded.

 

Jensen dipped a spoon into the ice cream and shovelled it into his mouth quite un-eloquently as he concentrated on the task in front of him. “Just a minute”.

 

“You said that a half hour ago. Come on, you can finish that in the morning. Please come to bed and get some sleep”. Jared sighed and wandered over to the table to see what was keeping his pregnant fiance up. “What's so important that it needs to be done right now”.

 

Quickly moving some documents to one side to conceal what he was doing, Jensen took another spoonful of ice cream. When he saw the look from the other man he rolled his eyes. “It's low sugar and tastes like crap but it's taking the edge off my craving, so relax”.

 

“What are you doing?” Jared tried again.

 

“It's nothing. Not that important really” Jensen said trying to shrug it off. He pushed himself off the chair and put the ice cream away in the freezer. When he turned back around he could see his fiance looking at him with his arms folded. “Fine” he gestured with his hand towards the table.

 

Jared moved some papers around on the table until he saw what Jensen had been doing. It was his Last Will and Testament. He gulped nervously as he scanned the document in front of him. It stated that should anything happen to Jensen, then everything would go to their daughter’s and himself. He had the biggest shock when it stated that if something should happen to both of them then his parents would be legal guardians to their daughters. “Jensen? Why.....why are you doing this now?”.

 

“Well I haven't updated it in a while and my circumstances have changed since then. Makes sense to do it now” the pregnant man said non-chalantly.

 

Jared however wasn't buying it. “Jensen? Do you think that something is going to happen to you? Are you scared about what Dr Lane said to you today about having to have a C-section? I know that's not what you want, not what we discussed but it's going to be the safest way for all of you”.

 

Jensen turned to face towards the window not wanting to make eye contact with his fiance. His hand was slowly and softly caressing the swell of his stomach as he felt the reassuring movements of his babies inside. “I know. But I admit it, I'm still scared, and I'm allowed to be scared over this, right? I mean I have something, two things, so precious, so fragile inside of me and if things were to go wrong, I mean I know it's unlikely, but things can go wrong.......I need to know that they will be safe and loved. I know they would be safe and loved in your care Jared. But I need you to save them if something goes wrong with me, put them, first”.

 

“Nothing is going to happen to you, or our girls. I'm not going to let it, I'm going to make damn sure that all three of you are going to be okay” Jared said as reassuringly as possible.

 

“You think I'm being silly and paranoid, right?” Jensen asked as he started to pace the room, hands moving all around his stomach, frowning at how his t-shirt was riding up slightly despite him only buying it a few weeks ago.

 

Jared sighed and removed his fiance's hands from his stomach and wrapped them around his back and did the same with Jensen's. “Not silly and paranoid”. He started to smother the pregnant man with kisses all over his face. “I'll make whatever medical decision I need to, to make sure that you are all safe. And if the worse does happen then rest assured that I will raise our girls in the way you would want them to be raised and I'd tell them everyday about you, how much you loved them. And then, if the absolute worse ever happened and something happened to me too, then my parents would raise them in the same way as they raised me, in a happy home full of love. But nothing is going to happen, nothing bad. Now please come to bed”.

 

Jensen looked at the piece of paper in front of him. Tomorrow he would take it to his lawyer and make it official and legal and it would then be filed away. He lived his life by being prepared and organized. “Okay. Let's go to bed”.

 

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	38. Chapter 38

 

 

The weekend had arrived and as arranged, Jared had picked his very excited parents up from the airport. After being hugged to within an inch of his life by his mother, he took them back to the house and gave them the guided tour and introduced them to their new additions who were currently running around the garden chasing each others tails.

 

Chloe and Jimmy arrived a couple of hours later. Sherri and Jerry had known Chloe for as long as their son had and were delighted at her choice of future husband. Loretta had prepared a feast for them all and it was cooking in the oven. Everyone was sat in the lounge chatting merrily whilst Jared kept looking at his watch anxiously. Jensen was due home an hour ago and his cellphone had gone straight to voicemail when he had rang it.

 

Just as Jared's concern stepped up a notch, he heard the key in the lock of the front door and ran to greet his fiance.

 

The second that Jensen stepped in through the front door, Jared was taking his briefcase from him and tugging off his coat and jacket. “Where the hell have you been?”.

 

“I'm so sorry. There was an accident on the freeway leaving downtown. My cell phone died and my car charger is in my desk drawer. I would have rang you otherwise. Where is everybody?” the executive said as he tried to trace the location of the voices.

 

“In the lounge. Food is nearly ready” Jared said. “We were waiting for you”.

 

Jensen frowned. “You should have started without me! Everybody is probably starving right now, me included. Just let me go and change into something more comfortable, more loose fitting and go and use the bathroom. God being stuck in traffic when you're heavily pregnant is not fun I can tell you, but there was no way I was using a sleazy gas station bathroom”.

 

Jared winced in sympathy and kissed his fiance on the lips. “Okay. See you in a second”.

 

10 minutes later, after changing his clothes several times until he was satisfied that he was presentable enough for his future parents-in-law, Jensen walked into the lounge, hands hovering over his stomach, feeling self-conscious even though he had met everyone before and they all knew that he was pregnant.

 

Sherri Padalecki was straight on her feet and put her arms around her future son in law and planted a kiss on his cheeks.

 

Jensen immediately felt at ease despite his usual aversion to any form of parental type affection. It was hard to imagine his mother ever hugging him. In fact he couldn't recall a single time that she had hugged him.

 

“Let me look at you honey. Oh, look at you, glowing” Sherri said as she smiled and clapped her hands together in excitement.

 

“Glowing? I think it's more hot and sweaty to be honest with you” the pregnant man said trying for some humour. “This summer is shaping up to be a warm one”. He shook Gerry's hand as they exchanged hello's. “I hope that Jared has given you the tour?”.

 

“Oh yes, this place is wonderful. Beautiful!” Sherri said as she looked around the lounge once again.

 

“I hope that your guest bedroom is more than adequate for you. If not, we can move you to another bedroom, but I thought that that bedroom had one of the better views and it should get the morning sun” Jensen said, hoping to please his guests.

 

“It's perfect. Now don't you go fussing over us. We are here to help you out and fuss over you! Now no more nonsense, come and put your feet up!” the Texan woman said.

 

“You're on Vacation Mrs Padalecki” Jensen began before he got 'shushed'.

 

Sherri shook her head. “This is a vacation in comparison to running a ranch. Besides, I'm not used to sitting around and doing nothing, it's not in my blood. And thanks to you and your generosity, we've got the ranch up to tip-top shape, had people in to fix it all up and take care of the place for a week for us. We couldn't have done that without you”.

 

Jensen blushed at the sentiment. The money that he had given them was just a drop in the ocean to him and he wasn't used to compliments. “It's fine, not a problem Mrs Pad-”.

 

“Sherri! No more Mrs Padalecki. Please call me Sherri and please come and sit down at the table and I'll start serving food”.

 

The pregnant executive smiled as he sat down at the table and watched his fiance's mother go dashing off into the kitchen.

 

Jimmy looked over at the pregnant man. “I feel the same as you right now. I feel like I have to impress a second lot of parents-in-law. I think we're both golden right now though”.

 

Jared looked over at his father. “Oh yeah, has my father mentioned that he has an outhouse full of guns and ammunition? And he never misses a shot either” he added as he gave his father a sly wink.

 

Gerry's face tried to remain serious but couldn't help the small smile that was forming on his face.

 

“Ignore him Jensen and Jimmy. It's me you've got to really worry about!” Sherri said with amusement as she started to bring out dishes of beautifully cooked homemade food by Loretta's own hands. It all smelt deliciously divine. “Start helping yourselves, there's plenty more on its way but please make a start”.

 

Dinner went down an absolute treat, and despite the copious amounts of food, there was only a few morsels left at the end. The evening wrapped up and Jimmy and Chloe went home, with Sherri giving the photographer her special motherly hug before whispering to her son's best friend that she had better keep her future husband on tight reins because she was window shopping for a toy boy.

 

Jared shook his head in embarrassment but laughed at his mother's wicked sense of humour as he followed his parents into the lounge where Jensen was sprawled out the couch, trying to stay awake but failing miserably, his head bobbing up and down as his eyes kept closing and then jolting himself awake.

 

Jared put his arm on his fiance. “Jensen? Come on, don't be stubborn. Go to bed”.

 

Jensen opened his eyes as fully as he could get them. “I don't-want-to-be-antisocial” he said trying to stifle a yawn.

 

Gerry shook his head. “Nonsense, don't feel like you have to stay awake for us. We are here a whole week so we'll have plenty of time to catch up don't you worry!”.

 

Giving in to everyone's nagging and his own exhaustion, Jensen heaved himself off the couch and wearily made his way up the stairs to bed where he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

 

 

 

Jensen woke to the smell of something delicious wafting up the stairs coming from the kitchen. He patted the other side of the bed to find it empty. Opening his eyes, he came to and checked the time on his bedside clock. He was about to start freaking out until he realised that he didn't need to be in the office today. Next to the clock there was a little post-it note with Jared's handwriting on which read 'You looked too adorable to wake up, gone fishing with my dad, hope you're hungry because think my mom is going to stuff you silly with food. See you later'.

 

As if on cue, another waft of something cinammony and sugary assaulted his nostrils and he suddenly felt starving. Getting up out of bed and smoothing down his hair, he grabbed his dressing gown and slippers and made himself as presentable as he could and walked down the stairs into the kitchen where he found Sherri Padalecki by the stove cooking up batches of homemade pancakes among other things.

 

“Morning” Jensen said as he went over to the coffee maker to find a fresh pot had already been made up.

 

Sherri smiled at her future son-in-law. “De-caff coffee all made, you just need to come and sit down. The milk and sweetener is on the table and help yourself to pancakes. I've used sweetener in them too and some cinammon to counteract the taste and they taste pretty good.

 

Jensen smiled his appreciation. Jared had obviously told his mother about his gestational diabetes. After taking a few bites, he nodded his head in approval. “Mmm, you'll have to give me the recipe for these, these are good. Everything else fun has been taken away from me right now”.

 

“The doctors thought I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Jared because he was such a big baby” Sherri said as she rustled around in the kitchen. “Turns out I didn't, he was just a big baby!”.

 

“What are you cooking up?” the pregnant executive inquired.

 

“Meals that you can put in the freezer. Just some pasta dishes, pies and rice dishes. It's important to have a well stocked freezer especially when those babies come along” Sherri said as she pulled things out of the oven and put more batches in.

 

“Thank you so much, you have no idea how grateful I am that you're doing this, but this is your vacation so you should be putting your feet up and relaxing!” Jensen said as he tucked into another pancake. They really were very good.

 

Sherri smiled kindly. “Are you kidding me? A day of cooking and baking? I'm in my element here! I never get to cook so much because I'm running around doing errands on the ranch. And you've got a huge dishwasher so I don't even have to do the dishes!”.

 

Jensen nodded his head. “In that case, knock yourself out”. A cell phone began to ring and the executive went to answer. “Excuse me for a minute, I need to get this”.

 

“No worries honey” Sherri sing-songed back.

 

As the executive was mid conversation, Jared walked in through the back door from the garden. He frowned when he saw that his fiance was on the phone and deep in conversation. He had asked Jensen to forget about work for the weekend at least. When he saw mounds of food cooling on the kitchen counters he reached out to sample something when he received a slap on his wrist by his mother. “Don't touch!”.

 

“What? It's apple pie, really? Come on, I'm hungry, I've been up since dawn!” Jared pouted.

 

“You can wait until it's cooled Jared Padalecki”. When her husband walked in through the door and began to hover around the food she began to shoo him away too. “Right, you two have been out fishing and quite frankly you smell of it too, so showers, the both of you!”.

 

Gerry knew not to argue with his wife so he just nodded his head and headed off upstairs to one of the guest bathrooms.

 

Jensen hung up the phone and smiled when he saw his fiance. “Hey, you're back already!”.

 

“Yeah, the fish weren't really biting this morning. Er, who was on the phone? I thought we agreed no work this weekend” Jared said trying to put it as diplomatically as possible.

 

Jensen refrained from rolling his eyes. “It wasn't anything to do with work don't worry. I'm keeping my promise. I've organised something for us all this evening”.

 

“Oh. Thank you” the younger man said feeling guilty that he had automatically jumped the gun and assumed he had being doing work of some sort. “Do I get to know what it is?”.

 

Lowering his voice, Jensen spoke quietly. “I've organised a dinner cruise on the yacht. Around the harbour, under the bridge, check out the city lights. I figured your parents have already seen the city and done the touristy things with you previously, but I bet they haven't seen the city like this before. I've hired someone to take care of the ropes for me seeing as I'm not able to right now” he said as he looked down on his burgeoning stomach. “Oh, crap, I didn't even think about it- your parents don't get sick on boats, right?”.

 

“No, they don't. It sounds perfect. They will love it!” Jared said as he kissed his fiance on the lips. “What's the plan for dinner then?”.

 

“I'm just waiting for an email with the dinner options then we will have to ring up with our choices and they'll get it cooked up for our arrival. I thought it was fitting because this was what I did for our first date. Feels right to do it again with our extended family” the pregnant executive said as his phone pinged. He opened up his internet browser and nodded. “Ah, here we go, take a look and let me know what you fancy”.

 

Jared shook his head in disbelief as he had another reality check into how his life was now. “You are truly amazing!”.

 

Jensen just smiled. “So are you, but your mom is right, you do kinda stink and need a shower. So do I but I think your need is greater than mine right now so off you go and I'll be up in 10 minutes”.

 

Rolling his eyes Jared looked around to see his mother immersed in cooking. His voice turned into a whisper. “Maybe you could make it 5 minutes?”.

 

“Well, there's an offer I can't refuse” the pregnant executive said before clearing his throat as he watched his fiance saunter away.

 

 

The sun was beginning to set over the harbour and Jared had escorted his parents onto the Yacht where their two waitresses were waiting for them with glasses of champagne and elderflower cordial.

 

Jensen was talking to the skipper that he had hired. “Thank you so much for doing this Jake. I'm not able to handle the sails and ropes myself, too much exertion for me right me now. Plus I want to be able to enjoy the night more”.

 

The skipper nodded his understanding when he saw the executive's advance condition. “That makes sense to me now. I did wonder why you needed me because you are more than capable of sailing her around the harbour. I guess congratulations are in order”.

 

“Thank you Jake” Jensen said a little shyly and self-conscious about himself. He had known the skipper for years and he had never really been open about his private life to anyone before. “That handsome young man over there is Jared my fiance, and that's his parents. I wanted to give them all a little treat”.

 

“Well, just sit back and enjoy for a change and let me handle it for you” the skipper said as he prepared the ropes for sailing.

 

Jensen nodded his thanks and went to join his fiance and his future parents-in-law.

 

Sherri hugged the executive as soon as he walked over to her. “Jensen, this is wonderful, I mean truly wonderful! I feel like an A list celebrity here!”.

 

“Marvellous” Gerry agreed as he sipped on the champagne.

 

“Well it's just a token gesture to say thank you for accepting me into your family like you have with such warmth and kindness. Our daughter’s are going to be truly blessed to have such wonderful grandparents like you two” Jensen said sincerely as he reached for a glass of elderflower and took a sip. It didn't taste too bad, but he longed for a sip of the champagne.

 

Jared's mother grabbed her future son-in-law's hand and squeezed it affectionately. Her son had filled her in on the situation with Jensen's parents and she felt a pang of sadness on his behalf. “Aw hon, thank you. We'll always be there for you all, okay? And you are part of our family now”.

 

Jared smiled at his mother's embrace and looked out towards the sunset where the sun was just dipping down low in the sky. The boat and the scenery were the same as when it was just him and Jensen on their first date but this time was truly perfect.

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This a long chapter. Sorry :-)

 

After Jared's parents had gone back home, the house was eerily quiet. Sherri had kept her promise of fulling the freezer with food and had kept them all fed and watered for the week despite protests that she should be relaxing and treating the visit like a vacation. She had mothered Jensen and wouldn't let him lift so much as a finger.

 

Jensen had been more relaxed about work and was working mostly from home for the week as was Jared. They were now both sat on the couch on the Sunday evening when Jared's phone beeped.

 

“Text from my mom. They've landed and their cab has just picked them up. They should get back home within the hour. She says thank you for a wonderful week and keep them updated on any baby news” Jared read aloud.

 

“It was really nice having them here and getting to know them a bit better. I can see where you get your sense of humour from now, oh and your mother hen skills!” the older man said.

 

“So, you've only put a few hours in in the office this week and it's still standing! So maybe you could continue working from home from now on until the babies are born?” Jared asked, trying to approach the topic as carefully as he could.

 

The executive laughed. “Ha. Nice try but you know I have things to wrap up there in the coming weeks before I can even think about starting any leave. I'll probably just work mornings and the occasional afternoon. I don't think I can physically do long days like I used to. But I need to keep going right up until I can't, okay? Please don't push me on this again”.

 

“I know. That's just one of the many reasons why I love you” Jared said as he caressed the other man's stomach.

 

Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What are some of the other reasons then?”.

 

Jared rolled his eyes and laughed. “I really don't think you need any more reasons to make you big headed” he joked. “We'll need bigger doors soon to fit your ego in!”.

 

“Hhmm maybe not then” the pregnant executive joked back. “Maybe just one more?”.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Jensen had two more appointments then he was done for the day. He felt as pregnant as he looked today, the babies kicking him at every given moment. He couldn't get comfortable at all as he sat behind his desk, composing an e-mail when Jared's voice came across his intercom telling him that his next appointment was here. He told him to bring them up.

 

Jared showed a smartly dressed woman into the executive's office and pointed to the chair opposite his boss and left them to it.

 

The executive forced a smile on his face and glanced briefly at the potential client in front of him. He quickly looked down at the piece of paper in front of him. “Ms Daniels?”.

 

The brunette smiled and nodded. “Mackenzie, please”. She appeared nervous as she looked carefully at the man, surveyed his face and smiled weakly at his features.

 

“So, did you bring your portfolio with you?” Jensen asked, getting straight down to business as he was keen to get things wrapped up for the day despite it only being 3pm.

 

The woman's nervousness increased. “Er, no. I didn't bring it. I, er didn't bring anything actually. That's not why I'm here”.

 

Jensen sighed outwardly. It wasn't the first time that people came here and wasted his time. Today, he wasn't in the mood for it but tried to stay patient nonetheless. “Well, I guess that you better leave then, I'm on a tight schedule and I don't have time for time wasters. I've got another appointment booked and I know for a fact that they have a killer portfolio, so please, let yourself out”.

 

“No, wait. I am here for a reason. I'm your sister” the brunette said, her voice shaky but gaining composure. She hadn't meant for it to come out that way and so sudden.

 

“No you're not. I don't have a sister! Now please leave before I call security” the executive said as his hand hovered over the phone. This woman had an absolute nerve.

 

The brunette woman was on the ball as she pulled out an envelope from inside the pocket of her jacket. “Wait, please. Just hear me out, give me one more minute. One more minute than I'll be out of your hair, I promise, just hear me out. I've got my birth certificate here and a photograph of my parents that the adoption agency gave my adoptive parents. Just take a look”.

 

Studying the envelope, afraid of what he would find inside, the curiosity finally got the better of the executive and he took it and opened it up. He pulled out a birth certificate and read the details on it. “Mackenzie Jane Ackles”, birth parents “Donna and Alan Ackles”. Her date of birth was 18 months or so before his own. Swallowing hard to alleviate the lump in his throat, he turned over the photograph to reveal a young version of his parents, pictured in a hospital room. “Okay, so you're my sister then. What do you want? Money? How much do you want? Is that what this is all about here? You found out that I earn big bucks and you feel left out and want a share in the family business?”.

 

Shaking her head, the brunette sighed. “No, I don't need or want a dime from you. Me and my husband run a very successful law firm and we have more than enough money. This is not what this is about or why I'm here”.

 

Jensen studied the woman more intensely and took in some of her features and could see some familiarity in her face. “Okay, so what do you want? How long have you known about this? Why now?”

 

“I've known for a couple of years. I was more than content with my adoptive parents, my real parents. They raised me right, and I grew up in a privileged home. But I wanted to see if I had any siblings, wanted my children to know where I came from, wanted to know what my real parents are like and why they gave me up for adoption. I've had my birth certificate and photograph since my parents told me when I was 18 that I was adopted but I didn't care about it back then. I hired someone around a year ago and they told me that I had a brother. I wanted to meet you but was too scared. Then I saw the newspaper with you in it at the charity launch, knew it was you and I took the plunge. You've done pretty well for yourself. I just want some answers that's all” the brunette said as she finished her well rehearsed speech.

 

The executive had stayed fairly calm. He should have been surprised and shocked, but in a way he wasn't. He wouldn't have put it past his parents to have a child and give her up for adoption. So he wasn't overly shocked given the upbringing that he had had. He hadn't felt wanted, had no real connection to his parents. “You have children?” he asked as his curiosity peaked, his new found paternal side taking the driver's seat first.

 

“Two girls and a boy. Amy-Louise is 8, Abbie is 6 and Thomas is nearly 3 now”. Looking at the man in front of her she watched as he put his hands on his swollen stomach and caressed it softly. “When are you due? I'm guessing pretty soon by the looks of things”.

 

Smiling, Jensen shook his head. He was used to people assuming he was further along than he actually was. “Not soon enough actually. I'm expecting twins, I'm only 29 weeks pregnant”.

 

“Oh wow, congratulations”. Now that the initial shock of the revelation had passed and they found some common ground, she ventured further. “So, I'm guessing that our parents, your parents kept you then?” the brunette asked hesitantly.

 

Jensen heaved himself out of the chair and poured himself a glass of cold water from the cooler wishing that it was something stronger. After taking a sip and licking his lips, he pondered everything. “They may as well have put me up for adoption! I think you were the lucky one to be honest. I was practically raised by a nanny and then as soon as I was old enough I was shipped off to boarding school and then had to take over the family business. I'm guessing they wanted me just for a son and heir, nothing more. So you had the lucky escape. Don't expect any nice mom and dad stories from me because I hate them and I've cut them out of my lives. I don't have any contact with them anymore. Couldn't even tell you which part of the world they are right now. They live a jet-setter's life whilst I send them money every month, which I've now stopped”. He stopped as he realised how callous and cold that had sounded. It wasn't her fault. He smiled. “You have our mother's eyes though. I mean she's a right bitch but she's got pretty eyes, I've got to give her that. She passed that onto you”.

 

The brunette almost felt pity for her newly acquainted brother. At least she had been brought up in a loving home and she wouldn't change her adoptive parents for the world. “How long have you been in the city for? I'm guessing you were born in Texas too?”.

 

“Born and raised. We have a grandmother who had a ranch up there. She's in a home now, her mind has virtually gone but you should go and see her. I've been here for a long while now”. Jensen had picked up on the Texas drawl from the brunette. “Are you still in Texas? The accent gives you away”.

 

“No, we moved our law firm out here about 5 years ago and it's really taken off, more than it did back home. Funny how we both ended up here. We could have crossed paths several times and not have known it. Except we've moved to Sacramento, it's a little quieter and we work from home most days and rely on a work force to do the ground work here in the city”.

 

“It sounds like you're not doing too badly yourself” Jensen said as he looked at his watch, trying not to make it too obvious but he was on a tight schedule.

 

Mackenzie got to her feet. “Sorry, I'm taking up your time, I know I only had a 15 minute slot. Look Jensen, I know this is hard for you to take in, it's hard for me too and I know we can't make up for the 30 something years lost between us, but I'd like to start now. I want my children to meet their Uncle, and for what it's worth, I think I'd make a great Aunt! Can I make another appointment to see you soon? Do I ring and speak to Chloe your secretary?”.

 

“Yeah, just ring Chloe and she'll schedule you.......no wait. You don't have to make an appointment to come and see me. I'd like to get to know you better too”. Jensen was sincere. He couldn't quite explain it but he seemed to have a connection with this woman that he had known for 5 minutes and almost found her fascinating. He had gone his whole life without much of a family and now his family was growing rapidly and he reveled in that.

 

“Well we seem to have a few things in common anyway. A mutual hatred for our parents to start with” the brunette said trying to break up some of the awkwardness in the room.

 

Jared knocked on the door and opened it a little. “Sorry to disturb you Jensen, but your next appointment is here”.

 

Jensen nodded and smiled. “Thank you Jared”. Just as the door started to close, he shouted out his assistant’s name. When he appeared again, he ushered him over. “Jared, this is Mackenzie”.

 

The brunette woman shook the assistant’s hand. “Nice to meet you Jared”.

 

“Jared is my business partner and fiance” the executive said as he beamed at his other half.

 

Mackenzie smiled. One of her manicured fingernails pulled out a business card and handed it over to the executive. “My number is on here, ask for me personally or get my PA to take a message and I'll get back to you. I hope to see you soon. Nice to meet you Jared. I won't take up anymore of your time, I know what it's like to have to stick to a tight schedule”.

 

Jensen nodded his farewell as he watched his sister walk out the door. He felt an assortment of different emotions going around in his head but Jared brought him out of his reverie.

 

“She seems nice” Jared said, looking at his fiance for any clues.

 

“She's my sister” Jensen said nonchalantly, surprising himself at how calm the words came out of his mouth. When Jared didn't say anything and just stood there with his mouth open, he continued. “Yeah, I know. I've just found out myself. I don't have time to explain right now, okay? Just send in the next client because I'm exhausted and want to go home. Just make sure that they are not another sibling that I don't know about! I don't know it I can take anymore surprises for one day or I'll send myself into pre-term labour!” the pregnant man said as he laughed to himself.

 

The younger man didn't see the funny side. “Don't even joke about that Jensen. Can we just take two minutes to talk about this? Are you sure that this woman is genuine here? Is she after your money? What's going on?”.

 

“Don't bust a gut Jared. She's genuine. I've seen the birth certificate and a photo. She's the spitting image of our mother. She's not after a dime either. But the most surprising thing about this is that I'm not actually not that surprised! This is exactly the sort of thing I'd expect from my parents, manipulative, deceitful. She's the lucky one in all of this, she didn't have to put up with them” Jensen said calmly as he typed in his sister's details into his computer. He quickly perused her law firm's website and scrolled through her credentials and her legal fees. “Oh and she's also pretty rich too given the amount she charges. Wow”.

 

Jared nodded his head and felt reassured somewhat. He could see how tired his boss looked so was keen to get things wrapped up for the day. “Okay, I'll send in your last appointment for the day and we can get the hell out of here, maybe pick something up from the store on the way home, or a takeout?”.

 

Jensen nodded his head with so much enthusiasm, the other man thought his head might fall off. “Oh yeah, my stomach thinks my throat has been cut. Plus I really fancy a McDonalds”.

 

“McDonalds? Are you serious? You make like a thousand bucks a second and you want a McDonalds?” Jared asked with a smirk on his face.

 

“Actually, it's more like two thousand bucks a minute.......anyway I really enjoy a Big Mac and I've been craving one for like an hour, extra cheese, extra pickle, fries, banana milkshake”. When he saw the look of surprise on the younger man's face he smiled. “What? Just because I'm rich, you don't think I eat a McDonalds?”.

 

“No, if that's what you want then fine. Anyway, Mr Oboda is outside for you, I'll send him in. He's er.....let's say of African descent so I think that there's a very slim chance that he's related to you” Jared said trying for humour.

 

Jensen shook his head in amusement. “With my parents, anything is possible!”. He sat back down behind his desk and tried to compose himself back into professional mode ready for the next prospective client.

 

$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*

 

Jared approached his boss' door and knocked tentatively as it was fully closed which usually meant that he didn't want to be disturbed. He still gave his fiance the professional approach in work. When he heard a quiet 'come in ' he did just that but opened the door very slowly and quietly.

 

Jensen was supine on a chaise couch with his head tilted back, eyes closed and his hands wrapped around the top part of his stomach. His stereo was playing some relaxing classical music. Opening one eye to see who had walked in he closed them again. "Okay?".

 

The assistant looked intrigued and confused at the same time. "Yeah. Are you tired?".

 

"Just trying to relax properly and get in the zone. I can feel my blood pressure dropping as we speak" Jensen said before he stopped and realised that he had dropped himself in it. He had just come back from a quick check with his OB/GYN. Jared was needed in the office so he had gone by himself.

 

"Your blood pressure was up this morning then? " Jared frowned.

 

"Seriously Jensen we've talked about this over and over again. You need to finish work!".

 

Jensen shushed the other man and waved his hand in the air. "No shouting. Calm environment only! We keep having the same fight all the time and we've been through this. I'll finish work when I'm ready". The pregnant man inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times as his eyes remained firmly closed as he zoned into the crescendo of the quartet playing out of the stereo.

 

"There's always going to be loose ends to tie up and contracts to sign and new potential clients!" Jared began before his boss shushed him again. Sighing, his voice changed into a whisper. "You need to finish up soon or we'll doing your c-section in your office!".

 

Jensen opened his eyes and watched in amusement as his fiance paced around. "It's like I'm being psycho analysed right now. Apart from the pacing!".

 

Jared looked confused.

 

"Been there, done that" the executive said mildly amused. When he got another look of confusion back, he laughed. "Long story, mommy and daddy issues as a child, blah, blah, blah. Ha and now I apparently have sister issues!”.

 

"Going off topic" Jared warned.

 

Jensen sighed outwardly in annoyance and sat up from the couch. "I've spent my whole life building up this company Jared, I've already cut down my workload by half, I can't do much less right now. When I'm done with finalising a few more things then I'll finish work. So quit nagging me okay? I'm doing my best here! It's not that I don't trust you because I do but this is my reputation on the line here. Plus as you've figured out I haven't exactly broadcast this pregnancy to the world so if I just stop people are going to wonder why".

 

"It's only because I care. You know that right?" Jared said as he tried to placate his fiance.

 

"I know. And I appreciate it. But less of the nagging because I don't need it" the executive said as he smiled and patted the couch. He didn't want any animosity between them for the rest of the day.

 

Jared leant over and kissed Jensen on the lips and clasped his hand. "Why have we never tested out the couch in here before?".

 

Jensen smiled. "Ha yeah it's barely holding my weight right now and I can barely move so we may have to wait a couple of months! It is pretty comfortable".

 

“Yeah it's good! Was everything else okay with Dr Lane? Blood sugars? Growth?” Jared whispered not wanting to disturb the calming environment too much.

 

“Blood sugars were fine, I've put on more weight, surprise surprise and baby number 2 is still lying the wrong way around on top of her sister who's still head down. It doesn't look like she's going to turn so C-section it is” Jensen said sighing.

 

“It's for the best. Dr Lane is one of the best and if she thinks that it's the safest option for you all then that's what we'll do. So, about this other issue, your sister?” Jared ventured. As promised, he hadn't brought it up for a few days but now it was festering between them. He didn't want Jensen's life to be even more complicated and stressful than it already was.

 

“I'm definitely going to want my jazz album for the OR. Maybe do a mixed tape with some Mozart on too. I want to have some control over my babies' birth” the pregnant man said as he tried to avert the conversation once again. When the other man didn't respond, he sighed and got up from the couch. “Fine. I have a sister that I didn't know about. She found me and now we want to get acquainted with each other. There is no catch. It's okay for you, you have a family, you were brought up with siblings and lovely parents and I wasn't, I never had that and now maybe I can have a chance of a family”.

 

Jared realised exactly how his fiance must have felt. He felt guilty again how he had had a normal family life, something that he had almost taken for granted. “When are you going to meet up with her again?”.

 

“Tomorrow night. She's in the city again on business. She's got 3 children, and runs a successful law firm so she should know a few things about running a business with a family. It's some common ground I guess to start with. We'll just see how it goes, take it slow. But she seems like a decent woman despite being screwed over by our parents”. Jensen winced as of the babies kicked him hard under his ribs. “Ooh”.

 

Smiling, Jared put his hand on the spot and felt something push up against it. “It's still amazing”.

 

“Yeah, but it's getting kind of old now they feel like they are tearing up my insides and sapping every last bit of energy in my body!” Jensen said as he sighed and lowered himself back down on his chair behind his desk. He looked at his watch and checked his computer for new emails and his scheduler. It was empty for the rest of the day and there wasn't any new emails that he deemed to be urgent. “Are you able to finish up here today? I think I need to go home and put my feet up”. He hating giving in but his body was telling him that it had had enough so he had to abide by it.

 

Jared quickly nodded his head and took the palmtop from his boss before he could change his mind. “Go! Get your things and I'll call you a cab so you don't have to drive home”.

 

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” the executive mock pouted.

 

“Well, you know, when the boss is away let the minions play!” Jared joked.

 

Jensen laughed then turned serious. “Except I really need those contracts drawn up by tomorrow and the editing done on the water company”.

 

“Of course, I'm already on it, okay? There's one of my mom's meals defrosting in the kitchen so you don't need to worry about food, I should be home by 6pm” Jared said as he loosened his fiance's tie and kissed him on the lips.

 

“See you later” Jensen said as he grabbed his briefcase and headed to the elevator.

 

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As agreed, Jensen met with his estranged sister in his favourite restaurant. He was nervous as he wasn't sure whether things would be awkward or not as they wouldn't have anything to talk about. He hadn't felt this nervous since his first date with Jared. Once the initial pleasantries were over and done with and their food had been ordered, the conversation had flowed just fine and the topic turned to Jensen's pregnancy and surprisingly he was more than happy to talk about it.

 

"Oh my God, I know nothing about girls....or babies and I'm not just having one baby girl, but I'm having two! I'm screwed, I mean I don't know what to do! I just don't". Jensen couldn't believe his sudden admission to someone he had only just met. He never opened up about anything but he felt at ease with her.

 

Mackenzie smiled at her brother's momentary panic. “Oh girls are easy. Except when they hit about 10 and puberty kicks in, then they turn evil and rebel against you at about 16 or 17 but other than that they're easy”.

 

Jensen shook his head in embarrassment. "Great and now I'm freaking out in front of, well pretty much a stranger, you must think I'm neurotic or something! I don't do this, you know, don't talk about things like this”.

 

"I think you'll make a great father" Mackenzie said as she sipped on her wine and picked at the bowl of nuts in front of her.

 

"How do you know that? With all due respect you have no idea what I'm like....I don't even know which way up to hold a baby, I'll probably drop her on her head or something....". Jensen felt ashamed to admit. Now that he had started to open up, he felt like he couldn't stop!

 

"I know you will be because you're freaking out and getting stressed out by the idea that you think that you are going to suck and that just shows that you care. And caring is the first step in being a great parent" Mackenzie said.

 

"Really?" Jensen asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his shameful admissions.

 

"Trust me, I've been there and done that. Let me let you into a little secret. When my first child was born, they delivered her and the nurse handed her over to me to hold and I shook my head. I refused to take the baby for about 30 seconds or so because I wasn't sure how to hold her. I was scared of dropping her. Then she started to cry and I became even more fretful that I wouldn't know how to console my own child And then something inside of me stirred, a natural maternal instinct that I didn't even know that I possessed and I took my baby and I held her to my chest and just started to rock her until she stopped crying and then she opened up her eyes and looked at me and then all of a sudden any worries and concerns that I had had disappeared in an instant. It's like I had a pre-programmed manual installed into me. But there isn't a rule book, there is no right or wrong way to do things and there are some things that you can never be prepared for. When my second child come along I thought I knew it all and it would be better second time around, but it still felt the same again, the same worries and concerns as with the first. And it's not all glitter and gold, there'll be times when you feel like screaming and crying and hell, walking out some days, but the rewards are so worth it and they far outweigh all the crappy bits. No one or nothing can truly prepare you for parenthood, but it's the most rewarding job in the whole wide world. So yeah, I do know that you'll be great because you care" Mackenzie said honestly as she finished her long list of admissions.

 

Jensen suddenly felt a connection between him and his estranged sister. Taking a sip from his glass of water, he leant back in his chair and sighed. He genuinely felt more relaxed and calm about everything. Everyone had kept telling him that things would be okay, and that he would be fine, but hearing the revelation so starkly a confession laid bare of how he feels and how someone overcame that fear. "Wow, thank you. I actually needed to hear that. Everyone just keeps telling me all the good things and how it will all come naturally blah blah blah".

 

"It does. But sometimes you've just got to push your fears aside and just let it happen. And people tell you different things, you know my mom would tell me to do it one way and then I'd want to do it another but there's no right and wrong" Mackenzie said. “My children are growing up just fine”.

 

Jensen suddenly felt remorse for the woman sat opposite him as to how his-their parents had treated her in giving her away. "I'm sorry".

 

Mackenzie looked confused. "What for? Don't apologise, every expectant parent feels the same as you do. I wish I had someone to talk to about it beforehand".

 

"No, I don't mean that. Our parents shipping you off, keeping you from me. I knew they were horrible and selfish but this is a new low even for them" Jensen said feeling angry.

 

"I'm not upset or angry. And besides, it's not your fault! You weren't even born then! The only thing I'm angry about is that I didn't find you sooner. But I've had a fantastic life, I was brought up in a wonderful house, and had a very privileged education and I had very loving parents and-" she stopped when she saw the anger on her brother's face. "I'm sorry. It sounds like I had the better end of the deal".

 

Jensen nodded his head. "Yeah. I wish my parents had put me up for adoption. I was sent to boarding the second I could talk and walk. The only good memories I had from my childhood was staying every summer with my grandparents in their ranch in Texas. I was just an heir to my parents, someone to carry on their family business, do all the ground work, keep the profits up and keep their bank accounts full. I guess maybe that's why they wanted a son, but then I don't know what difference having a son over a daughter would make, you'd be more than capable”.

 

"Do you have any contact with them? Sorry, you don't have to answer if it's too much for you...". Mackenzie didn't want to push it too much as they had started to form bonds already.

 

"No, it's fine honestly. I get the occasional phone call from them if they see something in the press with regards to the company or if their shares drop. They send me a postcard once in a while and a Christmas card but they get thrown in the trash straight away to be honest. I've ignored their phone calls for the past year. So I've cut them off and bought them out. No more monthly payments to them. I've got a lawyer on the case and it's all being finalised right now". Jensen put his hand on his stomach protectively at the mere mention of his parents.

 

The blonde woman sighed sadly. "Wouldn't they want to know about becoming grandparents soon?".

 

"God no way. I'm not conforming to their way of society, CEO of a multi-million company, with a beautiful wife on my arm. Hell, they don't even know that I'm gay. That alone would be enough for them to get rid of me out of the company that I've had to rebuild from scratch after my father let it go down the pan. The fact that I'm gay, pregnant and unmarried....well, they'd have a fit and I'd lose everything. But I've wrapped the company up so tight in litigation that they can't touch it". His other hand went over the top of his pregnant stomach.

 

Mackenzie was actually impressed at her brother's courageous attempts to put two fingers up to his parents. "Who have you got on your case?"

 

"Mr Bertolli" Jensen said confidently.

 

"Wow, that's serious stuff. You can't lose this one. That guy is insane, I don't think he's ever lost a case in his professional career as yet. He's a pain in my ass though if I need to do business with him involving a conflicting case because he's just too damn good! Even I'm scared of going up against him and I have a pretty good record too”.

 

"My work is my life. I've put everything I've got into this and after the girls are born I'm going to give them all I've got so I need to make sure that I've secured their future. Anyway, I'm sick of talking about myself. So you have three children under 9 and you still run your own law firm? You have to tell me how you do it, seriously! And tell me that pregnancy gets easier as you near the end?” the pregnant executive joked.

 

Mackenzie laughed as she shook her head. “Ha, depends on whether you want the truth or not. I'm a lawyer so I'm pretty good at lying sometimes!”.

 

“Well, whilst you cook up some good collusion therapy for me, I'm going to go use the restroom before our food arrives” Jensen said as he heaved himself up from his chair. “While we're bearing our souls, I just want to say that I was almost dreading tonight but it's like we've always known each other. I hope that we can make this a regular thing”.

 

“Me too” Mackenzie said sincerely as she watched her brother walk away.

 

 

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	40. Chapter 40

 

“Jay! I'm freaking out! What if it doesn't fit me, or what if I don't like it anymore! The wedding is 2 and a half weeks away!” Chloe said as she was stood in the wedding dress shop awaiting her final fitting of her wedding dress.

 

Jared was trying to calm his best friend down. “Chlo? Will you just take a chill pill. Everything is going to be just fine. This is the dress!”.

 

“Okay” the blonde said as she took a big breath in and headed into the changing room to put her dress on.

 

Jared was sat down on the chair, tapping his foot on the floor nervously as he waited for her to appear. “Is it on yet?”.

 

“Just a second Jay! Keep your panties on will you?” Chloe shouted from the other side of the curtain. Once she was certain that she had the dress on properly and was secured at the back, she drew back the curtain and stepped out on the shop floor bracing herself for the reaction from her best friend.

 

“Wow! Chlo! You look- I mean, you made the right choice here! You are going to shine” Jared said sincerely as he tried to fight back tears of joy. “It's perfect. I mean, really perfect!”.

 

“Oh don't Jay, you're going to make me cry! Just don't be all emotional like this on the day because I don't know how much my waterproof mascara is going to hold up” the blonde said as she looked down on herself and then up into the mirror as she twirled around and checked out her dress.

 

Jared took her best friend's hands in his and sniffed back his emotions. “I just have to ask you one thing though. You're my girl Chlo and I'll always have your back. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”.

 

Chloe was slightly taken back. “Don't you like Jimmy?”.

 

“Oh God, yes of course I do, you know that. He loves you dearly and you are made for each other. I'm just making sure that's all. Because you know if he does break your heart, I have a good few inches on him, I could easily take him on” Jared said jokingly.

 

“Thanks Jay. This just feels right, this feels amazing. I know it's been quick, but I've met my prince charming as have you” the blonde said as she hugged her friend.

 

Jared smiled. “Yeah, well I don't think we can describe Jensen as being charming at the moment. Hormones I believe. I'd better go and relieve him of his duties because he's probably terrorizing his employees as we speak”.

 

“Come on, when as he ever actually been charming?” Chloe joked.

 

“He has his moments. Anyway, my suit is also good to go. When you see me in it, well, you might change your mind about marrying Jimmy if you know what I mean!” Jared said as he wagged his eyebrows playfully.

 

“Behave will you! Get going and I'll see you back in the office in a bit” the blonde said as she headed back into the changing room.

 

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Jared had located Jensen in the office by following the sound of his raised voice and disgruntled employees. One of the girls from advertising came running out of the office as she passed Jared in the doorway. Sighing, he took a second or so to compose himself. “What's going on?”.

 

“The imbeciles that work for me! Why don't people actually listen to a damned word that I say anymore. I cut back on a few hours a week and people think that they can get away with murder” the executive said as he wiped his hand across his forehead.

 

The younger man had to compose himself for a moment so that he could think of something to say to diffuse the situation rather than make things worse. He could understand his fiance's situation and how he must be feeling, but his patience was wearing thin on the issue. “Jensen? I know you are frustrated and you know, pregnant and-”.

 

“Are you suggesting that I'm being hormonal and irrational here? If you are then you can get the hell out of here too” the pregnant man said as he slammed down on the mouse of his computer. “These babies are most definitely yours I believe, because they have giant feet, and are kicking the hell out of me day and night, one of them seems to constantly push down on my bladder and the other one alternates between my kidneys and my ribs right now. Everything hurts, so forgive me if you think I'm 'frustrated' as you put it!”.

 

“I never said that, I'm not going to-” Jared paused again. He figured he wasn't going to win any argument here. “Okay, can I do anything to help you?”.

 

“No. I just need to be left in peace and I need people to do what I tell them to you and to stop pissing me off!” the executive said as he continued to slam his mouse down but to no avail.

 

“Do you want me to fix that?” Jared asked as he took a step towards his boss.

 

“I got it!” Jensen bellowed back. “Stop lingering will you and get on with the campaign for the pitch next week. Don't think because I'm having your babies that I'm going to be going easy on you”.

 

The younger man knew that he was defeated so he left his boss to it as he walked away with his tail between his legs.

 

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Jared was hiding out in the coffee room a couple of hours later with some of the other guys when Jensen appeared in the doorway. Everyone scurried away and Jared got to his feet to follow them, when his boss stopped him in his tracks.

 

Jensen looked sheepish as he walked towards the table and put his briefcase down on it. “Stay where you are Jared, I'm not here to start an argument. So, I've been a grade A bitch today, right?”.

 

“I don't think you want me to answer that, do you? The fact that you've even asked me that means that you already know the answer” Jared tried to answer as diplomatically as he could.

 

“Don't worry, I'll sleep in one of the spare bedrooms tonight” the pregnant man said as he rubbed the underside of his stomach.

 

“Jensen, there's no need for that. It's fine, don't be silly, I'm not that pissed off with you. I've coped with worse from you before!”. It was then that Jared could see how tired his fiance was.

 

Jensen tried to stifle a yawn. “No, that's not what I meant. I barely slept last night. It was too hot in bed and I kept you awake with my tossing and turning, I'm sorry. You know that I love you, but my God Jared you give off so much heat and I'm already stifling hot!” he laughed.

 

“I'll sleep in the front bedroom tonight, okay? Maybe get you a fan to cool you down too and get your pillows set up how you like them?” the younger man offered.

 

“What have I done to deserve you? Even when I'm an ass to you you still find ways to be nice to me”. Jensen suddenly felt a rush of emotion come over him and he felt close to tears. There was no way he was going to cry, not like this, not in work, not in front of his colleagues. Clearing his throat, he picked up his briefcase and looked at his watch just to distract himself for a second or so. ”You and I'm sure everyone else will be pleased to know that I'm finished for the day. I've transferred my phone over to your voicemail. Whatever you don't get to I'll pick up tomorrow. I'll see you later”.

 

Nodding his head Jared smiled. “I'll take care of everything okay, just get out of here before you piss anymore of your employees off” he said amusedly.

 

“Fine. My feet and calves are the size of an elephant right now so I should probably go and put my feet up. These babies better be super cute after everything they are putting me through. They've got a lot to answer for”. As if on cue they kicked him particularly hard under his ribs. “Ow. Yeah I deserved that” the executive said as he winced. “I've ordered a cab, so I better get going”.

 

“I love you, you know. Even when you're an ass” Jared said jokingly.

 

Jensen laughed as he headed out the door.

 

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Jared was sat in the conference room with the rest of the employees as they awaited the arrival of their boss for the monthly briefing. Jared was just as nervous as the rest of them as he wasn't sure what mood his fiance and boss would be in. He was fed up for covering for him when he was going off on one in one of his moods. It was getting embarrassing now. He hadn't seen him properly this morning yet as he'd had another quick check up with the OB/GYN. As if on cue, the pregnant executive wandered into the room and everyone ceased talking immediately. Jared wanted to ask how the appointment went but knew not to ask until the meeting was over.

 

As the executive walked past his fiance, he gave him a smile and whispered. “All good”.

 

Smiling, Jared braced himself for the possible onslaught that was about to begin as was everyone else in the room, given the executive's foul mood the past week or so.

 

Jensen opened up the folder in front of him and began to run through the agenda. When he looked up properly and addressed the room he could sense tension. He put the folder down on the desk and smiled whilst keeping up his professional stance. “Okay, so I've been a little bit mean recently and have been difficult to work under and I apologise. I'm sorry. But I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you here because we've secured another 3 huge contracts this month alone and renewed every contract successfully that was up for renewal too so we are hitting all our targets. I'm probably going to cease working and begin my leave in a few weeks so I'm counting on everyone here to continue their good work because I need you all to and I know that you can do it. I don't say it enough and I'm sorry and thank you. I hope your summer bonuses reflect my sincerity in this. But as always I need your continued support and hard work because if we don't hit those figures then there will have to be some cuts somewhere. So that's all for now, you are all free to get back to work”.

 

There was a general hum of approval in the room about the prospect of an added bonus this year and Jared smiled at his fiance. Once the meeting was wrapped up, everyone filtered out of the room until the executive was left with his fiance.

 

“That was-you were-thank you. I think that went down well and that was a nice gesture giving everyone a bonus. You need everyone on your side Jensen so that they'll stick with you and keep making the company money. Anyway, what did Dr Lane say?” Jared said as he gathered up his things.

 

“That I'm pregnant” the executive joked. When he saw the lack of amusement on his fiance's face, he rolled his eyes. “Baby B is still breech, so it's looking less and less likely that she's not going to turn so she's booked me in officially the for C-section, not just penciled in any more. Bloods, urine and blood pressure all normal. I think that about covers it! Still pregnant and going to be for a few more weeks yet so I've got lots to do”.

 

“So then delegate even more?” Jared said matter-of-factly.

 

“I have. But there's certain things that are on-going that I need to take care of myself. But I'm hoping to get all wrapped up soon and to finish at 3pm today. That's the best that I can, okay? Medically me and the babies are fine, we are doing okay, so I need to carry on while I can. If you want to help you can get me a cheese and pickle sandwich and a decaff skinny hazelnut latte” the pregnant executive said as he frowned at the missed call on his cell phone. He shook his head. “Mommy dearest. I'm hoping if I keep ignoring the old hag, she'll just go away!”.

 

“Do you think they've realised that they've been cut off yet?” the younger man asked worriedly.

 

Jensen scoffed. “I doubt it! They've got so much money that they probably won't notice for a while yet. But I'm ready for them if and when they come crawling in here demanding to see me. I didn't think I could hate them anymore than I already did, but after what they did to Mackenzie- well I loathe them even more”.

 

“Screw them! Forget about your parents Jensen. We've got our own family, you've built up your own life now so you don't need them. And I know that it's not the same, but my parents think of you as their own now too. And when your parents want a battle, I'll be right here, by your side fighting with you”. Jared kissed his boss on the lips and gave him a squeeze. “I'll go and get your lunch and bring it up for you, okay?”.

 

“Thank you” Jensen said appreciatively. “Jared?”.

 

“Yeah” the younger man said as he paused in the doorway.

 

“4 weeks and 6 days! That's 37 days time until we have our babies. She doesn't want me to risk it going over 37 weeks so she's booked the C-section for 37 days time” Jensen said as he put his hand over his huge stomach.

 

Jared grinned from ear to ear. “Wow, 37 days and counting”.

 

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The smile on Jared's face was priceless as he drove the SUV through the busy streets of the city with the windows down. It drove beautifully and he still had a big goofy grin on his face when he drove it. The novelty was yet to wear off.

 

Jensen had had a moment of realization that they would need 2 car seats to bring the babies home in and some more baby supplies. A few months ago he wouldn't have known where to start or what to buy but his paternal instincts were increasing exponentially with the pregnancy and now he was researching anything and everything with regards to baby supplies and he had seen just the car seats that he wanted so they were on their way to the store.

 

“Are you sure these are the ones you want? I mean they are quite a bit expensive than the other ones we've seen” Jared said as he stopped at a red light downtown.

 

“Jared? There's going to be no expense spared here, come on. They've got the best safety record and apparently they'll last them until they're a few years old because you can adapt it to them as they grow. And then I've seen the most adorable dresses in Baby Gap that I want them to wear when they come home from the hospital”. The pregnant man was flicking through the catalog and drawing circles around items. He still found the thought of having to go through a C-section daunting because it wouldn't be something that he could control so he felt like he had to control everything else around it. “What are your views on pacifiers?”.

 

Jared was caught off guard by the question and the sudden interest his fiance was taking in everything baby related. “Uh, I don't know. I've not really given it much thought”.

 

“Well there's research that back up having one and then there's studies that have been done to say not to have one due to the long term implications of trying to wean the baby off it. I don't know, I think maybe we should see how we go without them first of all? It can't be too hygienic, right?” Jensen adjusted his position in the seat. He found it too much of a chore to drive these days and he was getting too big to get behind the wheel so he was glad to be driven around where he could push the seat back to give himself some leg room.

 

“Okay we'll try without then. Do you want me to drop you off at the entrance first, because it's quite busy and I can't see a space here close to the entrance”. Jared was eyeing up the parking lot for a space.

 

“Nuh, it's fine. I need to stretch out my legs anyway so the walk will do me good”. Jensen took his seatbelt off and groaned as he pushed himself out of the seat and out of the car once it came to a stop.

 

Jared grabbed the cart before his fiance could because he would insist on pushing it around otherwise and he didn't want him pushing something heavy and putting undue strain on his body.

 

An hour later and an overflowing cart, the pregnant man was starting to flag.

 

“Jensen? I think we are probably done here for the day. We've got the car seats and enough baby stuff to last us like forever, I think it's time to check out and go home”. Jared could see the fatigue and pain etched on his face.

 

Jensen went through his list and sighed heavily. “Okay yeah, let's go home. My legs feel like tree trunks right now”. As they approached the checkout, he grabbed hold of the cart. “Oh crap!”.

 

Jared suddenly went into panic mode. “Everything okay?”.

 

Before the other man had a chance to react, a familiar face appeared.

 

“Jensen? And it's er, Jared, right?” the man asked as he looked between the two men and then from the cart up to Jensen and then more specifically, his burgeoning stomach.

 

The pregnant executive couldn't hide his advanced condition and given that they were in a baby store, there definitely wasn't a way out. “Michael”.

 

“Well, I guess this is why you didn't make it to Boston then! Steve didn't really give us a reason why. Explains a lot! I'm shocked, I mean, congratulations are in order I guess! Why didn't you tell me!” the other CEO said as he turned to the woman by his side. “Sorry, this is my wife Susan. We're due any day now like you I'm guessing by the looks of you, so really this is just last minute things”.

 

“I'm only 32 weeks actually. I'm expecting twins so, I've got about a month left”. Jensen felt awkward and self-conscious. “I've just not really broadcast my pregnancy so to speak. You know me, I like to keep my private life just that. So I've kept a low profile”.

 

“Completely understandable. We should meet up soon, maybe dinner one night? Catch up properly?”.

 

“Yeah, er, you've got my number, we'll get something arranged” the executive agreed just to please the other man but secretly hoping that he wouldn't take him up on the offer anytime soon.

 

“Nice work on the Boston contract Jared! Steve was singing your praises”. Michael could see respective rings on their fingers and had put two and two together but didn't want to pry any further.

 

“Thank you. That's good to hear!” Jared said. “It was nice doing business with both of you”.

 

“I'd better let you two get on, looks like you've got a lot to sort out”. Jensen braced his hands against his aching back. He wanted to make an excuse to leave without sounding too rude. He really did need to get home as soon as possible.

 

“Yeah I know the feeling. Looks like you've got even more to sort out. Let's get going honey” the pregnant woman said as she too rubbed her back.

 

Jensen looked uneasy as he watched the couple walk away.

 

Jared knew best not to probe into the situation. He wanted to tell the whole damn world that they were together and about to have a family but Jensen couldn't-wouldn't and he had his reasons for it and he respected that. “Come on, let's get going”.

 

“Yeah. Let's go” the other man agreed.

 

 


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but wanted to just get the wedding out of the way to be honest before the drama begins :-)

Chloe was in the coffee room with some of the girls from advertising, going through her last minute plans that she needed to sort out for the wedding. “So, I was thinking, there's two ways I could walk down the aisle. So number one, okay, I hold the bouquet like this, and walk slowly like this, one foot in front of the other, or I can hold the bouquet just a little lower and walk more like this?” she asked as she demonstrated her options.

Lois twirled a strand of hair around with her finger. “I don't know. Maybe the second one with the bouquet a little lower so you can show off your dress. I imagine you have a killer dress!”.

One of the other girls nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah, I agree”.

There was a sound of someone clearing their throat and everyone stopped talking and turned around to see the executive stood in the doorway.

“We were just on our coffee break. All re-fuelled now so, you know, back to work” Chloe said as she looked to the other girls for support.

Lois got up from her chair and headed out the door as the others followed suit. The blonde assistant was about to follow their lead when her boss stopped her. “I need to see you in my office in 10 minutes please”.

“Oh, okay, er, what about?” the blonde asked as she tried to discreetly tidy away her post it notes and wedding magazines.

“10 minutes please, with my coffee. Thank you Chloe” Jensen said as he headed up in the elevator to his office.

Chloe took a deep breath in before knocking on the door exactly 10 minutes later. She obediently waited for the 'come in' before opening the door and walking in nervously. She was wracking her brains trying to think if she had done anything wrong or made any mistakes recently. She knew that she had probably been distracted somewhat by her impending nuptials and had been stressed about the final preparations, so she approached her pregnant boss with caution. “Here's your coffee. You wanted to see me?”.

Jensen looked up from his computer and smiled. “I don't need you in work tomorrow. I want you to take the day off”. He took a sip from his mug of coffee and smiled at how good it tasted considering its lack of caffeine.

The blonde assistant looked confused. “Have I done anything wrong? I mean, what have I done wrong?”.

“Nothing. You're getting married on Saturday so I figured you'd want tomorrow off so that you can sort out any last minute preparations for the wedding? You're on top of what I need you to sort out, so take it off. It will be paid of course as will your week off for your honeymoon. In fact I don't have anything else I need you for today so off you go” the executive said as he glanced at his watch. “At least that might mean I'll get the girls to do some work rather than fawn over wedding magazines, although they don't need an excuse to not do work”.

Chloe was taken back by the gesture. “Yeah, sorry about that. But, oh, wow. Thank you Jen- Mr Ackles sorry. Thank you so much! I'll see you Saturday. Oh God, I'm getting married in 2 days” she said as the reality kicked in.

“Good luck” Jensen said sincerely. “Now get out of here before I change my mind”.

The blonde almost ran out of the door in a nervous excited state.

“Wait! One more thing!” Jensen shouted back.

Chloe's heart sank once more as she realised that she may not be off the hook. “Yes?”.

“I've seen the dress, so definitely the second one, hold the bouquet lower, it will show off the sequins on the waistband” the executive said as he tried to refrain from smiling too much.

“Noted” the petite blond said happily as she wedding marched out of the office.

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It was the day of Chloe and Jimmy's wedding and Chloe was putting the final touches to her attire with her mother and sister as they carefully inserted the hair slide with the veil into her hair. Bracing herself, she looked in the mirror at how she looked. She was almost unrecognizable. “How do I look?”.

Chloe's mother fought hard to hold back the tears. “Like an angel. A beautiful angel”.

There was a knock on the door and Jared walked in. When he saw his best friend, he too fought to hold back the tears. “Oh, my, wow!”.

“Oh come on guys, I know this is waterproof mascara and eye liner but I'm not sure how it holds up and I don't really want to take the risk of it running down my face” Chloe said as she fanned her face to stop herself from welling up too.

Jared walked over to the blonde and kissed her on the cheek. “How's my girl holding up? Nervous?”.

“No, I'm okay. Maybe a little bit, but I'm excited, I want to do this” Chloe said as she smiled, grinning like there was no tomorrow. She looked down at Jared's clothes and frowned. “Um, why aren't you dressed yet Jay?”.

“I am” Jared joked. “There's nothing wrong with sweatpants and a t-shirt. Besides no-one is going to be looking at me when we go down the aisle!”.

“I'm getting married in 30 minutes Jay, I'm leaving for the church in 20! Go on, get going, you need to be there before me!” the blonde said as she ushered him out of the room.

“Fine, I'm going. See you there!” Jared said as he was pushed out of the door. 

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Jared was putting on his tie when Jensen walked in.

“Let me help you” Jensen said as he took over doing his fiance's tie. “It looks neater if you fold that bit over first and then tuck it in like this. There we go, handsome as ever”.

“Same to you Mr Ackles. You look very smart as always and you seem to be glowing today and looking radiant” Jared said sincerely.

Jensen looked embarrassed. “Come on, my face is puffy and I'm the size of a whale, I'm surprised my tailor managed to find enough material to make a suit with and by this time next week it's probably not going to fit me”.

“Jensen? Take a compliment please. You are gorgeous and I'm going to be proud as punch to show you off to everyone today so shush” the younger man said as he kissed him on the lips.

“Fine. In that case then, thank you very much”. The executive looked at his watch. “The cab should be here any minute, shall we make our way outside? We don't want to be late”.

“Thank you. I know that this isn't your sort of thing, you know a social gathering like this but thank you for being here and doing this” the younger man said sincerely.

The pregnant executive refrained from blushing and he just nodded his head once. “It's fine. It's not going to be so bad anyway. Plus I've seen the food menu so I know that's going to be good, so that's a bonus”.

“Is that all you think about these days is food?” Jared joked.

Jensen put his hand on his stomach thoughtfully. “Well seeing as I'm nearly 8 months pregnant and eating for three people, I'm going to say yes”.

“Man after my own heart. Right crap, let's go then. Chloe will hang, draw and quarter me if we're late!”. Jared smiled and took hold of his fiance's hand.

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Jensen was sat down in the church. The babies kicked him forcefully in the bladder. He had to pee and Chloe was running fashionably late. There was no way he was going to be able to hold it throughout the whole ceremony. He got up from his seat and headed to the back of the church where Jared was stood awaiting his best friend, ready to walk down the aisle with her.

“Jensen, get back to your seat, she’s going to be here any second” Jared said as he tried to lead the heavily pregnant man back to his seat.

“I need to pee…..” Jensen said, wincing as the babies kicked him again.

“You'll have to hold it, go back to your seat” Jared said as he scanned the road for a sign of the wedding car. He then looked over at the altar where he saw Jimmy stood nervously next to his best man.

“That's not an option. If I go back to my seat I’ll pee!” Jensen said urgently. When the other man looked at him disgusted he scoffed. “Seriously? Your girls are bouncing up and down on my damn bladder, and you really expect me to hold it? This isn't funny. There's a bathroom out back and I'll be 2 minutes, tops”.

“Fine, just be quick” Jared said as he saw the wedding car pull up. 

Jensen nodded his head as he headed to the back of the church to the bathroom in the vestry.

Chloe got out of the car and her sister and bridesmaid re-positioned her dress and handed her the bouquet as she linked arms with her father.

Jared gave her a wink and took position behind his best friend next to the bridesmaids ready to walk down the aisle.

The wedding march on the organ started to play and the bride and her father walked down the aisle, followed by Jared and the bridesmaids. When they reached the altar, Jared stopped and whispered a 'good luck' to his best friend and took his seat as the ceremony started. 

A few moments later, Jensen re-appeared and caused a bit of commotion getting back into his seat. His cellphone chose that moment to ring too. As he fumbled to get it out of his pocket to turn it off, he found himself at the receiving end of several death glares, the biggest one of all from his fiance.

The rest of the ceremony went without a glitch and the executive was straight out of his seat again as soon as it had finished. He rushed out to the back of the church before the wedding procession and headed outside to switch his cell back on to return the missed call.

Jared caught up with his fiance and frowned at him as he wrapped up his phonecall. “Really Jensen?”.

“I'm sorry, I told you, I really had to pee-” Jensen said apologetically.

“No, I meant the cellphone. Can you not turn it off just for one day? Or not even that, like a half hour when my best friend was getting married. Surely nothing is that important”. The younger man quipped.

Sighing when he realised that his assistant was right, he made a point of switching his cell back off and putting it out of sight in his jacket pocket. “No you're right, it's not and I'm sorry. I hope I didn't cause too much commotion, I hope Chloe didn't notice. I honestly thought it was on silent”.

Jared looked over at his best friend and new husband as they kissed each other. “I wouldn't worry, I think she's in too much a love bubble to even notice. Well Mr Plus One, shall we get going to the next part?”. He put his hand on his hip and prompted his fiance to link arms with him.

Jensen put his arm through the gap and followed the other man's lead.

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They were among the first to arrive as a lot of the wedding guests had followed the bride and groom to the location where they were having their wedding photographs taken.

Jared had gone off in pursuit of the bar so had lost his fiance. Heading out into the foyer, he saw him sat at a piano playing the most beautiful tune he had ever heard. Each note was accented perfectly, and his fingers danced on the keys like a pro. It was like he had gone into his own little world. He wasn't sure how long he had stood there for, but as soon as Jensen saw him he stopped and looked embarrassed. “Why did you stop?”.

Jensen hated social gatherings, especially weddings and he wasn't that great at mingling in crowds of people that he didn't know so when Jared had left him momentarily, he found the piano and had started to play it discreetly without drawing a crowd. “I-I've not played in years, I'm really rusty”.

“Rusty? Are you kidding me? It was beautiful. Who taught you how to play like that?”. The younger man was truly in awe.

“My grandmother. It's not a big deal, really. Is that mine?” the pregnant executive asked as he pointed to a glass of what looked like sparkling water with lemon and ice.

“Yeah, sorry, here you go. It looks like everyone is headed outside. I think the newlyweds have arrived. Let's go and see” the younger man said excitedly.

Because his fiance was so excited about it, it was hard to decline. “Okay”.

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Chloe looked around at the tables and the decorations and squealed with delight. “Oh my God, everything looks so good! It's perfect!”. She noticed that instead of wine there were bottles of champagne on the tables. “Oh crap, I didn't pay for these, I- paid for wine, I can't afford champagne!” she said as she started to freak out. She looked at her new husband for support and then up at her best friend and Jensen.

Jensen looked at the blonde and gave her a subtle nod.

“Oh”. Not wanting to embarrass her new boss, she mouthed a 'thank you” to him.

Jared had cottoned on to the fact and he kissed his fiance on the cheek and took his hand. When the newly weds were out of sight, eyeing up the rest of the venue, he whispered in his ear. “Thank you Mr Ackles. I'd say you're quite the romantic at heart. I can't wait to marry you one day”.

“Yeah, but nothing like this though. Private beach somewhere with our girls and your parents and a couple of close friends. I really don't want all that attention, it's not my thing. I just want it to be about us that's all”. The older man brushed something off his fiance's jacket and smiled.

“Like I said, a romantic at heart Mr Ackles” Jared beamed back. “Looks like it's time for food. I'm pretty hungry so I'm guessing that you must be famished.

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Jared was torn between the dance floor and sitting down next to his exhausted fiance. He felt obliged to keep him company but the few beers he had consumed and the pounding beat from the DJ made him want to dance. Finding Jensen sat down in the corner by himself, he went over to check up on him. “How you doing?”.

The executive checked the time on his Rolex and frowned when he saw that it was only 9pm. “Oh, I thought that it was a lot later than that”. He tried in vain to stifle a yawn.

“Okay, I'm taking you home, come on”. The tipsy man offered his hand.

“No, I'll get a cab home, this is your best friend's wedding and as you kids say these days, the night is still young and you don't want your very pregnant fiance to ruin that for you. Now, please stay and enjoy yourself, okay?” Jensen took the waiting hand and heaved himself up from the chair.

“Thank you. You've had a miserable time, I know, but thank you for coming. I'll walk you outside and help you in the cab”. Jared mouthed over to his group of friends that he would be right back.

Jensen stopped walking and paused for a moment. “I- I didn't have a miserable time. I actually quite enjoyed, you know for a social gathering. Besides, it was important to you, so it was important to me”. Raising his hand in the air, he signaled to the waiting cab outside. “I'll leave you to it. Just promise me that when you do come home later, you'll brush your teeth before you climb into bed with me”.

Jared nodded his head. “Fair enough. Sleep tight sleepy head. Look after my girls”.

“I will” the pregnant man said as he caressed his belly tenderly.


	42. Chapter 42

Jensen tossed and turned in the bed, but he couldn’t comfortable. He managed to get reasonably comfortable for about 5 minutes until he started to squirm around again and moaned in frustration. The babies kicking his bladder wasn’t helping matters.

Jared was awake anyway, and could sense his fiance’s discomfort. “Jensen?” he whispered into the dark.

The pregnant man sighed. He was hoping that he hadn’t disturbed his assistant. “You’re awake? Sorry” he apologised.

“Do you need to pee or something?” the younger man asked.

“No….” the executive said with annoyance. “I mean yes, but I only went like 10 minutes ago, so technically I shouldn’t need to” he said as he pulled the bed covers up over him stubbornly. “Oh God, but I really do….”.

Jared fumbled around with the light switch and flicked it on, basking them both in a ray of light. “So go then, no point in you being uncomfortable”.

“Uh, It’s too much effort, do you know how long it takes me to do anything these days? I’ve got to heave myself up out of the bed, waddle all the way into the bathroom, only for me to go 10 minutes later. I don’t want to. You go for me” Jensen said as he rubbed his stomach to try and calm the babies down.

“Aw sweetheart, you know that I would if I could. But I think you’re on your own for this one. Come on, I’ll give you a hand to get up” the assistant said as he clambered out of bed and went around to the other side and held his arms out to help the other man up.

Jensen managed to sit up with help and swing his legs around so that they were braced on the floor. He was out of breath just from that exertion. “Just give me a second, okay?”.

Jared kissed his boss’ forehead and smoothed his hand through his hair. “No worries. Whilst we’re both up do you want me to get you anything?”.

Holding out his hands, Jensen got to his feet and nearly stumbling, fell safely into his fiance’s strong arms. “Have we still got some of that ice-cream in the freezer?”.

“Really? It's 3am Jensen!” Jared pointed out.

“Fine, I'll go and get it myself then. What's the point in asking me if I want something when you're not prepared to go and get it? I want ice-cream” the pregnant man began to rant.

“Okay fine. I’ll go check. Can you take it from here?” the taller man asked as he reluctantly let go of the other man’s hands.

Nodding his head, Jensen made his way to the en-suite. “Yeah, I’ll be fine” he said as he paused in the doorway. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you”.

“Happy to oblige, boss!” Jared said mockingly.

Jensen laughed then winced as he cupped the underside of his belly. “Oh, don’t make me laugh, I’ll be back in a minute”.

Jared watched his pregnant fiance walk away, admiring the way he walked, his gravid body heavy with his babies. The way Jensen had been coping with everything was truly remarkable, and the hard work hadn’t even really began yet.

 

“Come on Jared, I really don't see the point in this. I'm having a C-section so I don't need to know how to 'control my breathing' during labour. I know how to breath, I've done it all my life and I'm just fine thank you very much. This is a complete and utter waste of time. Can we just please go back to the office instead?” the pregnant executive complained. They had just come back from seeing Dr Lane again and she had suggested that they go to a few lamaze classes. They were stood outside the door and the older man was refusing to go in.

Jared tried to placate his pregnant fiance. “You heard what Dr Lane said. It's not just about learning breathing techniques, it's about relaxation too and preparing your body better for birth. Just keep an open mind, okay? Just one class and see how we go. If you really hate it that much, then we won't come back. But let's go in because we are already running late”.

“Fine!” Jensen said angrily as he opened the door and walked into the room. He frowned when he saw twelve other couples, all sat down on the floor. There was an even mixture of pregnant men and woman. The pregnant people were sat with their legs crossed, eyes closed and breathing deeply, whilst their partners were sat behind them supporting them. He was just about to turn around and walk back out when he was greeted by an over friendly woman.

“Hey sweetie! Are you here for the lamaze class? I don't bite, come on in. Well, I guess you're our daddy-to-be, right?” the instructor said as she looked at Jensen.

Jensen frowned again but bit his tongue.

“What's your name?” she asked.

“Mr Ackles” the executive replied. 

“Oh, there's no need for formalities here, what's your name?” the instructor asked again kindly.

“That is my name and it's how I like to be addressed” Jensen replied, his patience wearing thin. He was still annoyed that the second baby was still breech and showed no signs of moving.

Jared intervened. “It's Jensen. I'm Jared, his fiance”.

“Excellent. Now then Jensen, come and sit down here on the floor and Jared is going to sit down behind you”.

The executive reluctantly did as he was told. 

The younger man could feel the death glare rolling off his fiance despite him having his back to him. “Open mind Jensen” he whispered into his ear.

Jensen tried to get as comfortable as he could but his suit was restrictive in this position. He loosened his tie and adjusted his belt buckle.

The instructor could sense the newcomer's discomfort. She went over to the executive. “Next time, you might be more comfortable in sweatpants and a t-shirt sweetie”.

“I don't wear sweatpants-sweetie” Jensen mocked.

“Okay. Why don't you tell me something about yourselves then? Why you're here?” the woman tried.

The older man scoffed. “Isn't it obvious? I'm pregnant!”. He wasn't about to divulge anymore information about his private life in front of a room full of strangers. He was way past his comfort zone.

Jared once again intervened. It was getting embarrassing now but he was used to covering for his fiance. “We're expecting twin girls and we're at nearly 33 weeks”.

There was a hum of approval and 'aw's' from the room.

“We want to try some breathing control exercises and to learn to relax, right?” Jared said as he discreetly nudged his fiance.

Jensen forced a fake smile. “Yes”.

The instructor sensed that that was all she was going to get out of the newcomer's so she addressed the rest of the class. “Okay, so, mommy and daddy's to-be, I want you to close your eyes and just let your body relax and go floppy and let your partners support you from behind, have faith and trust in them. Just feel the calmness and quiet flow through your body. Concentrate on your breathing. Breath in and out nice and slow. Just focus on your breaths, slow everything down”.

After looking around the room and seeing that everyone else was following the instructions, Jensen gave it a go and closed his eyes. After a minute or so, he had to admit that he felt calm and serene. Maybe there was something in it, as much as he hated to admit it. He let himself relax back more and felt Jared's solid form behind him supporting him. He had almost forgotten where he was until a few minutes later, the woman spoke up again. 

The rest of the class went by relatively quickly and Jensen had gone with it and stayed quiet. As Jared helped him up off the floor they bid farewell to the woman who had lead the class.

“Will we see you again next week?”.

Jared looked at Jensen.

Jensen looked morose. “I don't know. Maybe”. He looked towards his fiance. “We'll try and make it, yes. Thank you” he added as they left.

Once they were back in the car and Jared had started up the ignition, he figured that it would be safe enough to talk. “That wasn't really that bad, surely?!”.

“No” the executive admitted. “It was-bearable I guess. That woman was annoying though”.

“Oh, I thought she was lovely. She was just doing her job Jensen. She was being nice!” Jared said as he pulled out from the parking lot.

“I did what you asked, I gave it a go, I kept an open mind. It was fine, I did the damn breathing exercises, I felt relaxed but I don't see how the class is going to be any different next week that's all”. As he was nearing the end of his pregnancy he was becoming more and more agitated and grumpy.

Jared sighed. His patience was wearing thin again. “Okay. Maybe we shouldn't talk until we get into work”.

“That's the best idea you've had all day!” the pregnant executive said as he reached for his cell phone and started to scroll through his emails.

Luckily the roads were quite busy with the late morning rush hour traffic, so Jared concentrated on driving whilst his fiance sulked next to him. The next few weeks were certainly going to be very trying on both of them.

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Chloe had been off for a week as she and Jimmy had enjoyed their honeymoon road tripping around California. It was her first day back and there was plenty of work waiting for her. She put the stack of papers down on the desk, things that her boss needed to sign and go over before she could post them out. She hadn't stopped all day. “I just want to say thank you so much for everything that you did for our wedding”.

The executive blushed. “It's not a problem, I'm glad that you had a good day and hope that you enjoyed your honeymoon”.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful, thank you. I think Jared has some contracts for you to look over so I'll go and get those from him and bring them to you” Chloe said as she lingered.

Jensen smiled. "Thank you Chloe. Anything else?" He asked as he looked at the slight apprehension on his new assistant's face.

"No....I er..." the blond faltered and sighed.

"Spit it out" the heavily pregnant executive said as he leant back in his chair to try and alleviate the pain in his back for a moment.

Chloe cleared her throat as she looked at the swollen stomach of her boss with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety. "Nothing, it's....I shouldn't really...".

"Okay" Jensen said with an amused smirk on his face. To his surprise, the blonde woman sat down on the chair opposite him and looked at him, eyes fixated on his stomach. He felt under scrutiny.

"What's it like to be pregnant?" Chloe blurted out before either of them knew what was happening.

Slightly taken back by the question, Jensen laughed. "Ha! Well, depends whether you like throwing up every morning and peeing all the time! Then when you're not peeing or being sick you are probably thinking about it. Then there's the bad back, the indigestion, not being able to drink or eat half of your favourite things. Sleepless nights.....back pain, leg pain, pelvic pain, I think I've covered everything”. The babies kicked him hard. “Oh and being kicked at every possible moment. So, to sum it up, it's just peachy!”.

Chloe's face paled somewhat at the thought. "Oh God! That does not sound fun. How did you find out that you were pregnant?".

Jensen answered the question without much thought to it. "Well I thought I had food poisoning at first, but the sickness didn't stop and I felt faint and dizzy and had to pee way more than usual. I did a test on a hunch and it confirmed it" he said as he recalled the morning he had found out and how scared he had felt. He suddenly looked at Chloe and eyed her suspiciously. "Why do you ask?".

The blonde looked down at the floor.

Jensen sat upright. He was curious now. "Are you...I mean...really?".

Chloe bit one of her fingernails apprehensively. "I....I don't know. I think so. Maybe? I haven't taken a test yet. No one knows...not even Jimmy. Please don't tell anyone. I don't even know why I talked to you about this, as you probably already know, I don't have a filter on my brain. I think it's just all of the stress from the wedding. We've only been married a week! That would give a whole new meaning to honeymoon baby, right?".

"Yeah, I don't need to know the specifics. Maybe we are over-sharing a little here. Nonetheless, it's our secret. But congratulations if you are. I'm sure that Jimmy will be thrilled!" The pregnant executive said sincerely.

"I know he will. But it sounds horrendous being pregnant...the way you've described!" the blonde said as she leapt up from her chair and started pacing around the office anxiously.

Jensen's face suddenly softened as he realised that what he had said was all negative and not reassuring to the woman given the revelation. "Oh no. Wait. That's the not so fun stuff but it's so amazing knowing that you are carrying a baby inside of you made from love. I can't describe the feeling when they move for the first time and that moment you realise you are madly in love with someone before you even meet them and you want to do everything and anything you can to protect them. Everyone should get to experience what I am right now. And come on, you knew me before I got pregnant and I was hardly father material or a family man now was I? It changes a person and it's changed me for the better”.

Chloe became overwhelmed with her emotions. "Ha, I guess. It's really wonderful?".

"Absolutely". Jensen winced as one of the babies kicked him in his ribs. He wasn't one for being touchy feely and hated people invading his personal space, but he was willing to make an exception in this case because he felt bad about what he'd said to her despite that fact that he felt uncomfortable with the conversation. He'd never let anyone other than Jared feel his belly. "Here, feel".

The young woman put her hand carefully on her boss's tummy and smiled when she felt something push up against her hand. Any awkwardness had dissipated in that moment “Wow! That was...insane. And amazing".

Jensen was starting to get overly uncomfortable at the conversation and whole situation so he cleared his throat to try and break up the moment. 

“Sorry”. The blonde woman pulled away. “Okay, so this conversation didn't happen, right? You can't even tell Jared. I might not even be anyway”.

“Just- get a test done, okay? And this conversation didn't happen, not to worry”. The executive reached over to grab a handful of envelopes. “Oh, I nearly forgot, these need to be posted, if you go now, you should be able to get them sent off in today's mail”. Changing the tone of his voice, he went back into boss mode.

Chloe took the pile of mail. “I will do. Jensen? Thank you. You're really not that bad, but I won't tell anyone”.

“Appreciate it. Now, seriously, I need those letters posted today, so get going”. Although his voice was stern, he gave her a sly wink before she left.

Laughing to himself, he shook his head and put both hands on his stomach. “Oh girls, what are you doing to me? Daddy's not going to be this soft after you're born”. Sighing, he looked up at his computer and got back to work.

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Jared was headed towards his boss' office when the door flew open and his boss came rushing out. “Jeez, slow down, are you okay?”

“Can't stop, seriously. Been stuck on a long conference call and I need to pee like right now” the heavily pregnant man said as his face was strained and waddled down the corridor with as much haste as he could muster.

Jared was filing some things away in the office when his boss appeared a few minutes later obviously out of breath, but looking more relaxed. “Jeez Jensen, come and sit down before you pass out!”.

The pregnant executive groaned as he rubbed below his pregnant belly and sat down on the couch in his office. “I've got to get my own bathroom installed in my office! I'm serious!”. He winced again.

“Pelvic pain again?” Jared asked. 

“Yeah and back pain, painful legs, you name it. Maybe I should start my leave really soon”. Jensen exhaled slowly.

“Like right away soon? Like 2 weeks ago soon?”. Jared had a hopeful look on his face.

Jensen rolled his eyes. “I'll see it out to the end of the week and then I can work from home, nice comfy couch, abundance of bathrooms at my disposal”.

Jared threw his arms around his pregnant fiance's neck and kissed him eagerly on the lips. “Yes! Thank you, thank you!”. He had been waiting a long time for him to come to the realization that due to the high risk nature of the pregnancy, he needed to take things easy and now he finally did, even though the babies and his body had done it for him.

“Woah, I'm not leaving just yet. I can't just wrap up everything in a few days, I run a million dollar company and franchise. So, I'll see it out here until the end of the week, tie up as many loose ends as I can, but I'll have to work from home on some things and then maybe come back to the office every once in a while. That's the best I can do. But I promise you, our girls are going to come first and they'll always come first. My whole life I've been wrapped up in this company, trying to build it back up and make a success out of it and I've been scared to fail. But it's doing well now and I couldn't let go of it. I've never been good at anything else in my life and after my dad let this place go under, I set myself up to fail, but I turned it around. I thought that I'd fail at being a father because of who I am, but I turned this place around, so I think I can be a good father. So I'll do whatever it takes for them”. It was a rare thing for Jensen to speak his mind and talk about his feelings. He was emotionally drained from doing so.

Jared was so taken back by the revelation, he had to take a few moments just to compose himself. “Oh Jensen”. Not knowing what else to say, he just held his fiance in his arms and didn't want to let go. And seeing as the other man wasn't making an effort to free himself, it didn't look like he did either.


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentleman........please welcome Donna Ackles :-)

 

Jensen was sat at his desk typing away on his computer furiously as his phone rang. As promised, he was trying to wrap things up so he could start his leave in a couple of days. He picked it up and snapped at the caller on the other end. “Seriously? Is that a joke? I said 150! Unless you’re willing to deal don’t bother calling me back!” he shouted in frustration.

 

He sighed and rubbed at his temples to try and curb an oncoming headache. There was so much stuff to do over the next few weeks before the babies arrived. He was trying to wrap everything up, but despite delegating, he still had work and tasks pouring out of everywhere. It was like fighting a losing battle.

 

His e-mail browser pinged. He opened up the e-mail and quickly scrolled down to read it. It was from a prospective client who had decided that he would not be renewing his contract with Ackles advertising. This was a blow to the company. Jensen was too annoyed to reply so he just closed the windows on his screen and punched the desk instead. “God dammit”.

 

Deciding that he needed to stretch his legs he went to get up from his desk when he felt a twinge that startled him and forced him to sit back down abruptly. He rubbed at the spot and felt it subside. It was a Braxton-Hicks for sure. Sure enough, just a minute later he felt another one. This time he got up from his chair and started to pace around his office slowly waiting for it to subside. Given the stress he was under right now, he wasn't surprised.

 

After a few minutes, his legs felt heavy and felt like he needed to sit down again. He flopped back down, undid the top bottom on his shirt and put his hand over his huge belly and winced as one of the babies kicked him particularly hard in the ribs.

 

The door flew open and Jensen gasped in shock when a familiar form strode into his office. Even though he had been preparing for this for a long time and knew that he was ready, he didn’t actually feel ready now the time was nigh. The woman was mad, there were a few stray hairs that had come loose from her coiffed hairstyle and her face was flushed. To say she was pissed off was an understatement.

 

The woman was his mother, Donna Ackles and Jared was hot on her heels.

 

“I told you ma'am you can’t just walk in here, it’s by appointment only” Jared said as calmly as he could, even though he was breathless from trying to keep up with the rude, formidable woman. Despite wearing heels, that woman could move pretty fast.

 

Donna Ackles put an authoritative hand on her hip, showing off her perfectly manicured finger nails. “The hell I can. He’s my son and this is my company so I can do what I what, when I want and go where the hell I damn well please Coffee boy so please go away and get me a de-caff low fat non dairy vanilla latte please. And make sure they don’t over froth the milk darling because if it’s too stiff it’s impossible to drink! So, off you go!” she ushered with her hands. “Shoo!”.

 

Jensen was sat rooted on the spot too shocked to move. Although he had been expecting this for a while, he'd hoped that he would have more warning than this. “Jared, its fine leave us to it. Go and get her what she wants. I’ll ring you if I need you”.

 

After the initial shock on finding out who she was, Jared looked concerned for his boss. He lingered by the door and looked on anxiously. He didn’t want his fiance to get worked up or anymore stressed given that his blood pressure was on the high side of normal again on the latest checkup. Obviously if he had known who the rude woman was sooner, he would have taken better action in refusing her entry.

 

“I’ll be okay” Jensen insisted. Nonetheless he was prepared for this. Both physically and mentally. He watched as Jared walked out the room, having the sense to close the door on his way out. He was glad that he was sat behind his desk for now which was hiding his very advanced condition. He wanted to hide it just for a few more moments before he dropped the bombshell. This exact scenario had been playing around in his head for a while now and he was about to play it out and he would control all the shots.

 

Donna's face was creased up with anger. “Why the hell have our payments been cut off? I rang the bank and apparently we’re not affiliated with our own company anymore. What the hell is going on Jensen? Has there been a mistake somewhere? Because if the bank has messed up then I’m going to sue them for every penny they have. I mean, I had my credit card declined the other day, it was so very embarrassing!”.

 

Jensen plastered a huge fake smile on his face. He actually felt his pulse slow down as he calmed and composed himself. “Mom. Long time no see. How’s things? I'm honoured to have you visit me in person, it's only been about 2 years. I’m sorry to hear that your credit card got declined, I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you”.

 

Donna Ackles waved her hand in the air. “I’ve got no time for small talk Jenny, I’m here on business and I’m in an awful hurry darling. We’ve put an offer in on another yacht in a rather glorious part of the South of France, but I wanted to clear up this money nonsense first, get you to rectify this whole palaver and sort it out with the bank. Ring them, tell them they’ve made a mistake”.

 

Jensen sighed and opened up the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a wad of papers. “I can't do that I'm afraid, because there’s no mistake mother” he said as he grunted and pushed himself up off his seat and braced one hand behind his back to get his balance and also for added effect.

 

Donna’s face turned from shock to thunder when she saw her son’s massive stomach and there was no doubt what it was. “What the hell is that? Are you…..are you…no you can’t be, please tell me that you’re not. This is a disgrace, a monstrosity! Just wait until your father hears about this. After all we’ve done for you, you go get yourself….oh God…! You don’t deserve any more from us. We’re taking the company off you…you ungrateful little....this is how you repay us!” she said as she looked away for a moment and then turned her head back around to look again to make sure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her.

 

Jensen smiled and patted his hand over his huge belly. He had coincidentally chosen a good day to go semi-casual and not wear a suit jacket or tie. His condition wasn’t very well covered up in his attire. “Struggling to finish your sentences? Speechless? That's not like you mom. Well, congratulations you’re going to be a grandmother” he said happily just to rub things up the wrong way even more. Now that the truth had come out, he was gaining in confidence and actually beginning to enjoy it.

 

“No, don’t say it, not my son. You can’t be…that's not how we raised you......oh God, I can’t even say the word…” Donna squealed as she wept into a tissue she had plucked from her hand bag. She was now borderline hysterical.

 

“What, pregnant? Gay? Yes I am and engaged too, to a wonderful man. Well, once I found out that he was the father and not one of the army of escorts I’d been with, you pay good money for that sort of thing” Jensen said as he took great delight in his mother’s reaction as she gasped in shock. “Yeah, I used to love paying for sex with different men. Of course, I have a type you know, I don't just sleep with anyone. I like them tall and brunette. Blondes don't really do it for me. Oh yeah, and grandma Imelda knew about me being gay, she was very supportive in fact. She knows about the babies too in her own little way. When I say babies, I mean two little girls in fact” he said smiling as he felt them move around. “Twins, because you know I like to do things properly”. He paused for dramatic effect and continued as his mother kept silent. “Oh and I've met my sister too. Mackenzie. She's a kind and beautiful woman, just as successful as me in her own right. How the hell could you have a baby and give her up? Quite frankly I wish you had done the same with me!”.

 

“Jensen, please, don’t do this….don't say these things” the angry woman cried, unable to control the steady stream of tears running down her face. “You don't understand....you weren't there...”.

 

Jensen carefully rubbed his stomach at another Braxton Hicks contraction. He tried his best to ignore it because he was on a roll now and didn't want to stop. “Oh yeah, the payment issue that’s what you came here to discuss right? We got a bit side-tracked and off topic, sorry. Yeah, about that, I stopped it, I’ve cut you off and bought you out” he smirked.

 

“What, you can’t do that? This is my company too! We’ve not signed anything” Donna Ackles said as she stamped her foot on the floor and shook her head.

 

“Hhmmm, apparently you did. And actually it was dad's company but he pissed it away, so now it's my company. But I've got your signatures right here, it’s all in black and white. I can make coloured copies too if you like, really make them stand out. You should have paid more attention to what you were signing then instead of sunning it up on a beach somewhere. Its all here, all legit. Iron clad documents. All loop holes have been explored and closed so there’s no way out of it. Company is all mine and there’s nothing that you can do about it because you signed it over to me. Of course you’re more than welcome to hire your own lawyer but that’s a tad pricey and I’m guessing that money is going to be tight right now. I can recommend mine, he’s very good, done stellar work on this contract in fact. Interesting fact for you seeing as we're in a sharing, caring mood- Mackenzie, that's the daughter you gave up by the way, she's a lawyer too but I can't see that she would help you out with this matter either. But don’t worry, I'm not that heartless, I'm not about to see my own parents thrown out on the street, even though that's what you deserve. I figured between all the properties and boats and cars that you already own, there’ll be enough money for the two of you to live off for the rest of your miserable lives. After all, I wasn’t going to let you go hungry. And if the worst came to the worst, you might even have to get a job mom. God forbid you'd have to get your hands dirty. In fact I could probably take on another cleaner and I think one of the toilet's are blocked too, I'd give you a glove of course so that you wouldn't ruin your manicure, just the one though” Jensen said as he tried to curb the massive smile that was trying to form on his face.

 

Donna looked like she was about to cry again. “You can’t do this to us. You’re no son of mine, not anymore”.

 

“Oh thank God, I might actually get some peace and quiet from you then. But then you know, I never really was though was I. I’ve got my own family to tend to now including my sister who you've kept me from all of this time. I don’t need you. I never have done. Now get the hell out of my office before I get you thrown out. I mean, I guess that you are technically trespassing on private property now” the pregnant executive said as he let the smile break out. “You could get arrested if I wanted to press charges. Those cells are pretty icky and I wouldn't want to ruin your dry clean only dress, that's pretty pricey to sort out”.

 

Donna looked defeated as she gathered up the file of documents and then pointed her finger at her son. “You’ve not heard the last of this”.

 

Jensen tried for one more last taunt, because he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be hearing from or seeing his mother or his father for a very long time. “Oh, and I’m thinking about doing a 3 page spread in Forbes magazine showing off the girls when they are born, maybe a few pregnancy snaps too, you know ‘Proud to be gay, wealthy advertising executive’, that sort of thing, so make sure that you look out for that?”.

 

“What will the neighbours say? Or our friends in the golf club?” Donna said inconsolably.

 

“I don’t know mom, you’ll have to let me know” the pregnant man said tiredly. The babies were reacting to their father’s stress and were kicking up a storm. “Now if there’s nothing else, get the hell out of my office and if I see you or dad within a hundred feet of this building, or any others that I own, I’ll be taking out a conjunction against you”.

 

Donna Ackles knew that she was defeated, so she strode heavily across the office and yanked the door open forcefully where she collided with the heavy form of Jared who had his ear up against the door. “Were you…listening in on that? And where the hell is my coffee! Jensen? Do you not have any control of your employees, this young man has overstepped the mark here!”.

 

Jared cleared his throat. “You didn’t say what size you wanted or whether you wanted sugar. But here’s a couple of dollars and I can recommend the coffee shop the next block down” he said as he held out a wad of notes. “I can't promise that they won't over froth the milk though”.

 

Jensen smiled at his assistant and looked on in amusement.

 

The fierce woman looked between the two men and came to a conclusion. “You….and him? Coffee boy?”.

 

“More like business partner actually ma’am. You heard Mr Ackles, off you go now, shoo” Jared said putting on a pompous accent and mimicking the angry woman. He watched as Jensen’s mother walked over to the elevator and started to bang the buttons to get the doors to open faster.

 

The two men watched on in amusement until she disappeared.

 

Jensen pressed the button on his intercom. “Daisy? There’s a woman that’s about to get out of the elevator. Make sure she leaves the building please, and if she doesn’t, please call the cops, thank you”. He moaned at another twinge in his stomach. He lowered himself down in his chair.

 

Jared went over to his boss with a concerned look on his face. “Woah you okay?”.

 

“Yeah, I am. I really am. It's all over, I'm free. God that felt so good, I feel liberated, like a huge weight has been lifted from me. They can't touch me, they can't undo everything I've done here. Oof, I don’t think the girls appreciated all the drama that went on just now” the exhausted pregnant man said. “Were you really outside the door the whole time?”.

 

“Of course, you didn’t think I was actually going anywhere?! I mean, I knew that you could totally handle your own in there, you’ve been preparing for this for a while, but I thought I’d better hang about for moral support. I'm sorry, I didn't know who she was, but she barged through like a hurricane, I couldn't stop her” Jared said apologetically as he walked over to the window as he heard commotion coming from the street below. He opened the window to get a better listen as to what was going on.

 

Donna Ackles was being severely chastised by a dog walker and she was waving one of her high heels at the poor man shouting “These are Louis Vuitton! Do you know how hard they are to clean?”.

 

Jensen got up from his seat to take a look as he saw his mother make even more of a spectacle of herself. He laughed and rolled his eyes. “So, that’s mommy. Charming isn’t she?” he said before he hissed inwardly at another twinge, this time stronger than the others.

 

“Jensen?” the young assistant asked as he put an arm around his fiance.

 

Jensen shook him off and walked over to the other chair in the corner and sat down on the recliner. “It’s okay, they’re just Braxton Hicks. I’ve been having them on and off all morning. It has been a hell of a day!”. He tried for light hearted humour.

 

Jared nearly choked at the revelation. “Jensen! What the fuck? Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”.

 

“Because they are just twinges that’s all. If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve had quite a stressful day!” the executive said. “Don’t make a fuss and get me some water” he said as he signalled to the water cooler.

 

The younger man filled up a cup with cold water and took it over to his boss. “Here you go. Do you remember the last time you had these? It was your body’s way of telling you to slow down!”. He enunciated the last two words.

 

“I know! And I am-well you know, apart from mommy dearest throwing a curve ball. A couple more days then I can wrap some stuff up and I’ll start paternity leave, work from home” Jensen said. He felt another twinge coming on and tried his best to hide it from his worried fiance but it didn't work.

 

“Another one? Jesus Jensen, are you sure these are Braxton Hicks because they seem to be quite regular. Maybe we should call an ambulance, get you checked out” Jared decided.

 

“No” Jensen objected as he guzzled down his water. “If the water stops them then it’s Braxton’s, if not, then…..then call an ambulance. Just give it a minute, they'll settle down”.

 

Jared stood in silence as he watched the pregnant man for the slightest sign of a twinge as he clutched his cell phone. A minute went by and his fingers slackened on the phone. He was about to say something when Jensen screwed up his eyes in pain again. “Okay, I’m calling them” he fretted as he dialled 911.

 

The ambulance arrived in minutes, and Jensen was strapped down to a gurney as they made their way down to the ambulance. A crowd of employees started to gather around their boss in concern. Jensen was embarrassed at the public spectacle to say the least.

 

“Please guys, he’s fine, just give him some room” Jared pleaded as he signalled to everyone to move out of the way.

 

Jensen was trying to breathe calmly in and out, trying to keep himself from freaking out too much as the pains kept coming. His mind wandered back to the breathing exercises he had done in the lamaze class.

 

Once inside the safety of the ambulance and behind closed doors, the EMT strapped the pregnant man up to a host of different machines.

 

“May I?” the EMT asked as he signalled to lift Jensen’s shirt up so he could place a foetal monitor on him.

 

Jensen obliged and carefully moved his shirt up and out of the way. He clutched onto Jared’s hand as he felt the ambulance jerk as it started up and began its journey to the hospital.

 

“You look to term” the EMT stated as he looked at the foetal monitor. “You’re definitely having contractions”.

 

“No!” the pregnant man protested. “I’m only 33 weeks, I’m having twins, it’s way too early for them to arrive. They’re too small. Please…” he begged as he studied the peaks and troughs on the foetal monitor. He could hear the steady heart rates pulsating as beeps which brought him some comfort. “Please Jared, make them stop”.

 

“It’s okay honey” Jared reassured to the best of his ability but the truth was he was scared too. He should have been more assertive with his boss to slow down with work but it was an impossible task as Jensen was so determined and bloody minded about everything. He hoped that it wasn't too little too late.

 

“We’ll be there in about 6 minutes, okay, just try to stay calm and breath nice and slow for me okay because your heart rate is through the roof” the EMT warned as he grabbed his radio. “Pre-term twin labour, 6 minutes out. Alert OB”.

 

“I’m sorry” Jensen sobbed. He put his hands over his stomach and moved them around lovingly. “Please stay in babies. Please hold on….”.

 

The next 5 minutes were so tense that no-one dared to speak and the next thing that the anxious parents-to-be knew, they were ushered off up to the maternity wing. No one was telling them anything. Just as Jensen was starting to go from scared to full on panic mode, Dr Lane rushed into the room to see her patient.

 

“Dr Lane!” Jensen said, ecstatic, relieved and anxious to see a familiar face.

 

“I was on my way home actually, but when they paged me and I heard that it was you, I came back. So, can I take a look?” the physician said as she grabbed some gloves and slid them on. She examined Jensen as he held onto Jared.

 

Jared couldn’t take the suspense anymore and spoke for the two of them. “What’s happening? No-one is telling us anything here. Is he in labour? Do you need to do an emergency C-section?”.

 

Dr Lane finished her exam much to Jensen’s relief and snapped her gloves off and threw them into the trash can. She looked stern, but not concerned. “Theoretically you're in labour, yes. That’s the bad news. But the good news Jensen is that you haven’t started dilating yet and the membranes are fully intact, so we can give you medicine to help stop the contractions so we'll hold off on doing the C-section right now”.

 

Jensen’s breathing stepped up a notch. “What if you can’t the labour? 33 weeks, that’s way too early, what would happen if you can’t stop them?”.

 

“We will. But you need to stay calm, okay? Slow your breathing down. I’m guessing that stress has brought this on, right?” Dr Lane warned her patient.

 

“But, what if you can’t?” Jensen asked. He was aware that his heart rate monitor was beeping quicker as his anxiety increased.

 

“Jensen, come on, that’s not going to happen. It will be okay” Jared tried to reassure his fiance.

 

The physician smiled and put a hand on Jensen’s hand. “If, and I mean if we can’t stop the contractions, we’ll have to give you some steroid injections to try and mature their lungs. There’s a high chance that they’ll both have some problems with their breathing, they’ll need intensive care but me and my team will do everything we can for them, it won't be ideal but we can work with it. But that’s not going to happen. Believe that Jensen, believe that we are going to stop them. So slow down your breathing, in and out nice and slow. In through your nose and out through your mouth. I’ve got to go because I’ve been on all night and I’m working again tonight. I’ll get the nurses to get the drip going for me and I’ll be back to see you later. I know it’s hard but try to rest and take this as a second chance and try and get them to stay in for a few more weeks”.

 

Jensen started to slow his breathing down and he nodded his head. “Okay, thank you” he said. His stomach contracted and went hard beneath his palm which scuppered his plans to calm down slightly.

 

Over the course of the next few hours, both men studied and watched each drip of magnesium sulphate trickle down into the needle in the pregnant man’s arm. Jared hadn’t left his fiance’s side, not even for a second.

 

The pregnant man had fallen asleep and he woke up to find Jared asleep too, his head resting on his lap. He groaned. “Jared? Get up!” he said urgently as he poked the younger man.

 

Jared awoke with a fright. “Oh my God! What? Are you okay, do I need to get a nurse?” he fretted as he suddenly recalled where they were and what was happening.

 

Wincing, Jensen pushed Jared off his lap. “No. You had your head on my bladder and I really need to pee”.

 

“Oh, sorry. Um, how are you feeling?” the young assistant enquired as he sat up. “Have they stopped?” he whispered, scared that if he spoke up the contractions would start up again.

 

Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah, I haven’t had anything for nearly two hours now, thank God. I'm guessing that's a good sign”. He groaned and shifted awkwardly in the bed.

 

“What?” Jared asked as he got up from his chair. He was on high alert for any sign of pain or discomfort from the other man.

 

“Bathroom” Jensen stated with a ‘duh’ look on his face.

 

Jared scanned the room. “Right…okay”. He opened up one of the cupboard doors by the bedside and pulled out a urine bottle which he handed to his boss.

 

Jensen just looked at the bottle with disbelief. He was mortified. “Er, what’s that? I’m not peeing in that. The bathroom is just through the door. It's like 8 steps. Come on help me up here”.

 

“I, I don’t know if you’re meant to be getting up out of bed. Maybe I should check with one of the nurses, just in case” Jared said as he looked on worriedly.

 

“Jared, just get me up out of bed. Let me have some dignity please. I’ve been poked and prodded and examined by everyone so I just want to be able to pee by myself, okay? This whole situation is embarrassing enough as it is” the pregnant man pleaded.

 

“Okay, come on then” the younger man said as he helped to support his pregnant fiance. He reached for the drip which was now empty and escorted Jensen to the bathroom door. “I’ll be right here, okay? Shout if you need me”.

 

Jensen just rolled his eyes and shook his head at the same time as he closed the door. He heard Jared shout out not to lock the door just as he turned the lock. As soon as he was done and had the door open a crack, his fiance was stood ready to escort him back to the bed.

 

“Anything?” Jared asked worriedly.

 

Jensen laughed. “Oh yeah, I think I peed for the whole state, I told you I needed to go!”.

 

“No, I meant anymore contractions?” Jared asked.

 

“Oh right. No. Nothing. I think the girls are going to stay put just a little longer. Look I know what you are going to say next so I'm going to save you the time. Bed rest and paternity leave starts from now, right?” the pregnant man said. “If I can get them to 36 weeks, another 3 weeks then their chances will be a lot better. It's over with my parents, it's all out in the open. We are all moved in, the wedding has been and gone, we've hired Chloe, the charity is up and running and things are going well with the business right now and we are not under pressure to secure any more contracts right now so I can just concentrate on myself and the babies”.

 

Jared just sighed with relief although he had his doubts as they had been through this before a couple of times already. “Glad to hear it. It's a few more weeks Jensen, just a few more, so suck it up and if you have to stay glued to the couch and watch crap on TV then so be it. You might even learn to enjoy it”.

 

As Jensen clambered back into bed a nurse came into the room.

 

Jared looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights as he assisted his fiance with his legs. “He was just er-stretching out his legs that's all!”.

 

The nurse could hear the tail end of the toilet having been flushed. “It's fine, we can allow you bathroom breaks not to worry. I've had specific instructions from Dr Lane to check your blood sugars too”. She disconnected the drip when she saw that it was empty. Analysing the chart from the foetal monitors she smiled. “Contractions have stopped. Excellent. Right, finger?” she asked as she poised ready with the blood sugar needle.

 

Jensen dutifully held out his hand and flinched at the familiar feeling of the prick. “I'm not going to miss this, that's for sure. That's one good reason for me to have these babies soon- not too soon” he amended when he saw the younger man's worried face.

 

“It's low, very low. We need to get some food into you” the nurse stated.

 

“Yes I had to skip lunch today believe it or not, got a bit pre-occupied with going into pre-term labour” the executive joked.

 

“I'll go get you some sandwiches and jell-o. In the meantime, back to bed properly, you're not out of the woods just yet” the nurse warned.

 

“So, there's no chance that I can go home anytime soon, then, like maybe tonight?” Jensen thought that it was worth a try.

 

Jared looked horrified at the thought. “Are you freaking kidding me Ackles?!”.

 

The nurse laughed. “Yeah, Dr Lane told me you were a tricky customer and you might ask me that. It's her decision and she's not in until later on this evening and you know as well as I do that she doesn't suffer fools gladly”.

 

“Great. I'm here for the night then”. The pregnant man sighed in resignation and slumped back down into the bed.

 

“Get comfy sweetie” the nurse said sweetly before going to get some food.

 

Jensen tapped his hands on the bars of the bed impatiently. “Any chance you brought my laptop?”. He looked over at his fiance with puppy dog eyes.

 

“No” the younger man said simply.

 

“Cellphone? Palm top?” the executive tried.

 

Jared's warning look said it all. “Why don't you put the TV on? They have cable”.

 

“Yay for cable” Jensen said sarcastically. He thanked the nurse when she brought in a selection of sandwiches for him and left them to it. “Mmm, yummy! Nice to see that they've gone upmarket on the food here. Seriously, you've got to break me out of here, I'll be good, I swear, I will literally glue my ass to the couch if you just take me home”.

 

Opening up one of the sandwiches, Jared passed it over to his fiance. “If you eat half of this then I'll smuggle you in a philly cheese steak sandwich later on. But you need to eat something now”.

 

“I'm not a child Jared, I can feed myself” Jensen said angrily as he took the sandwich and took a bite, grimacing as he do.

 

“No, I'm sorry, you're not a child. Because you can usually reason with a child in some shape or form” the younger man said. “Right now, you're worse than a child!”.

 

Jensen folded his arms across his chest like a petulant child almost as if to prove a point, although not intentionally.

 

Jared rolled his eyes. “Come on, it's just for one night hopefully. I'll go back to the house and get you some things and you stay here and do as they tell you. Surely you've learnt by now”.

 

“Can I have pickle and hot sauce with the philly cheese steak sandwich?” the pregnant man asked.

 

The younger man tried not pull a face in disgust. “Sure thing. I'll see you later. Rest up”.

 

“I don't have much choice do I? I'm hooked up to machines and I don't have any of my things with me. I can't even check my emails!” Jensen protested. When he received another warning look, he picked up the remote control for the TV and pressed the 'on' button.

 

“Love you” Jared hollered from the doorway.

 

Jensen smiled. “Love you too”.

 

 


	44. Chapter 44

After checking in with the office the next morning, Jared found himself back at the hospital to check up on his fiance.

 

Jensen was still in his pyjamas and still hooked up to a drip and foetal monitors. He sighed in relief when he saw his fiance. “Is everything okay? Did the contracts get completed for the soda company?”.

 

“Yes” Jared said affirmatively. “And I've signed off on the commercials for the car company and posted out the renewal contracts for the department store”.

 

“Good. Any emails? Messages? Phonecalls?” the executive asked as he reeled off the list of things in his head that he had been thinking about and mulling over throughout the night. He hadn't slept all that well, with the sound of the machines beeping around him and although reassuring, the beeping sounds of his babies heartbeats had kept him awake most of the night. The fact that he hadn't had any contact with his company since yesterday lunchtime was un-nerving to him.

 

“Nothing that I haven't handled and taken care of already. If there was anything that we needed you for, then I would have let you known about it. You have an amazing team of employees working for you Jensen, they are very competent. Anyway, enough shop talk, how did you sleep?” Jared asked.

 

“Crappy with these damn machines beeping all frickin' night and nurses coming in to check me every couple of hours” Jensen moaned.

 

“Have you had breakfast yet?” the younger man asked.

 

“If you can call two slices of toast and a glass of juice, breakfast, then I guess yes. What's with all these stupid questions?” the pregnant man complained as he shook his head in frustration.

 

Jared was getting used to his fiance's mood swings so didn't rise to it. “Because I brought you in a breakfast sub, thought you might like it that's all. But if you don't want it, then fine!”.

 

Jensen's face softened and he looked apologetic. “I'm sorry. I'm tired and fed up. Dr Lane hasn't come round to see me yet. I'm just waiting to see what she has to say. Did you really bring me a breakfast sub? I do want it, really want it”. When the other man nodded, he smiled. “From Joe's?”.

 

“Of course” Jared said as he handed over the paper bag. He watched in amusement as his fiance tore open the bag and began to tuck into the sub like a famished man.

 

As if on cue, the physician gave a knock on the door and let herself in. “Good morning. I'm sorry I'm late coming into see you but I had an emergency delivery to do. Anyway, how are you feeling?” she asked her patient as she assessed the flip chart by the foot of his bed and looked at the tracings from the foetal monitors.

 

The pregnant executive plastered a big, fake smile on his face. “I'm doing just great thank you Dr Lane. No more contractions or pain of any kind. A tad tired from trying to sleep but I'm okay”. He was trying his best to butter her up so she would discharge him.

 

Dr Lane nodded her head, satisfied with what she saw. “Well, everything looks satisfactory here”.

 

“Excellent, does that mean that I can go home then?” Jensen asked hopefully.

 

“However-” Dr Lane warned, “You are not completely out of the woods yet so I'm reluctant to let you go home because I need you on very strict bed rest for the next week, then continued rest for 2 weeks after that, more relaxed, but rest nonetheless. I want those babies to stay where they are for another 3 and a half weeks until the scheduled C-section date, give them every chance to mature a little more”.

 

Jensen sighed as he put his half eaten breakfast sub down on the table in front of him. “Dr Lane? I was so scared yesterday, petrified in fact that the babies were coming early and believe me it's given me the shock I needed. I'm done with work, I promise. I can't promise that I won't send the odd email or make a few phone calls, but I'm done. Until these babies are born, they are solely my responsibility and I'm not going to let them down. What I'm trying to say is, if you let me home, I swear I'll follow any advice that you give me”. He was genuinely sincere in what he said.

 

“Believe me Dr Lane he absolutely will. I'll get everything set up for him in the bedroom where the en-suite bathroom is and he won't move from there for the first week, he won't even have access to his laptop, for a few days at least” Jared said, aiming the last sentence at his fiance.

 

Jensen's face showed that he was about to protest.

 

“That's the terms and conditions. If I keep him away from his stuff for any longer than that he'll just stress too much” Jared interrupted. “Or you stay here for a week, right Dr Lane?”.

 

The physician nodded her head. “I'm happy with that deal”.

 

“Fine. I'm not going to win this one. If it means I can sleep in my own bed tonight and eat my own food, no disrespect, then I guess a week in bed isn't the worst thing in the world” the pregnant executive agreed reluctantly. “You better stay put then girls” he said patting his stomach affectionately.

 

Jared smiled with relief. “So I can take him home then?”.

 

Dr Lane nodded her head, satisfied that her patient would abide and that Jared would enforce it strictly. When she saw her patient get up from the bed quickly and leap to his feet she put her hand on his arm. “Woah, as long as you take it slow”.

 

Jensen took a minute to get his breath back. “Thank you for what you've done. Thank you for getting us this far”.

 

“Last hurdle is down to you now. You've got to help yourself now. Anyway, I'll get your discharge notes together and we'll take out the needle in your arm and you're good to go. But I'll need to see you again in a week” the physician said as she left them to it momentarily.

 

Jared got his fiance's clothes and belongings together for him and helped him change out of the gown. “Are you ready to go home Mr Ackles?”.

“You bet I am” Jensen said eagerly.

 

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It was the third day of strict bed rest for Jensen and when Jared got back from work, he found the pregnant man lying on the bed where he had left him that morning, seemingly engrossed in the TV.

  
  


“Hey how you doing?” the younger man asked curiously.

  
  


Jensen shushed the other man and paused the TV before he looked up. “Okay so Ross and Rachel were together and then Ross slept with someone else and now Rachel has broken up with him. I can't take it!! They belong together!”.

  
  


Jared tried to hide the grin forming on his face. “Good afternoon, nice to see you too! Wait, are you watching Friends?”.

  
  


“Yeah! Have you ever seen it?” Jensen asked in awe of the frozen picture on the TV screen almost as if he was making sure that nothing happened whilst on pause.

  
  


Jared gave a 'duh' look. “Come on have you never watched it before? You must have done, its timeless and iconic! I've got all the box sets upstairs somewhere”.

  
  


“Seriously? Wow. Well I'm on season 3 right now. Oh My God, I've watched 3 seasons in one day! How many seasons are there?” Jensen asked excited by the thought.

  
  


“There's 10 seasons. But, really? You've never seen it before?! Not even one episode?” Jared asked incredulously.

 

“I've barely watched TV before Jared. I've never had the time! I just hope I can get through the rest of episodes before the babies arrive. I think I'm hooked, I may have a problem” Jensen's finger was hovering over the play button on the remote.

  
  


“Well, I can see that I'm disturbing you so I'll let you carry on. This is a good bit” Jared said amusedly as he kissed his pregnant fiance on the head. He took the dirty plates of food from the bedside table. Loretta had been coming in every lunch time to bring his fiance food.

  
  


Jensen looked up at the other man. “Wait, do you want to watch it with me?” he asked.

  
  


“I'll let the dogs out for a run around the garden and turn the oven on to start dinner and I'll join you in a few minutes. Don't wait for me though because I've seen them all a hundred times, in fact, just to warn you I probably know all the words”. The younger man smiled, happy that his fiance had taken on board advice about bed rest.

  
  


“Okay” Jensen said. “Ooh, no wait, bathroom again. I've been so engrossed in watching TV I forgot I needed to pee. Damn, I can't believe I've spent all day watching this and I've not thought about anything work related all day! Is everything okay?”. He adjusted his position on the bed and tried to sit up.

 

“Well, that's the whole point! Everything is just fine. Nothing that needs sorting out today. Do you need a hand up?” Jared offered as watched the pregnant man struggle.

  
  


Jensen wasn't going to turn down the offer, so he politely nodded his head and held out his hand to be pulled up. “Don't you dare start it back up without me!”.

  
  


“I wouldn't dream of it!” Jared laughed as he headed downstairs and into the kitchen where he was greeted by two excited puppies.

 

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Jared was sat in Jensen's office, replying to some emails on the computer when the phone rang. He answered in the same monotonous voice that he had used 20 times that day already. “Ackles Advertising, how may I help you?”. He was getting bored of telling people that Jensen wasn't available and had to think up excuses why, as he wasn't sure how many people Jensen wanted him telling the truth to, so he said he would be on leave for at least a month.

 

“I'm so bored. What's happening there?” Jensen's voice sounded over the other end of the phone.

 

Laughing, Jared leaned back in the chair. “I thought you were engrossed in watching Friends for the third day in a row”.

 

“I've just watched the last episode and now I'm bored. I've been in bed for 5 days straight now and the memory foam mattress has literally moulded into me. When I get up it's shaped like me! And now all I can do is think about work and what I'm missing out on” the executive admitted.

 

“Nothing, you are missing out on nothing. There's a few contracts that I need you personally to sign but I'll bring them home with me tonight” the younger man said. “Go on Netflix or something and find another TV series to get into”.

 

“There's too much choice, I don't even know where to start! There's a couple of folders that I need from the office. They should be in the second drawer down in the filing cabinet. Can you please bring them home with you? And where have you hidden my laptop?” Jensen asked.

 

Jared smirked. Luckily the other man couldn't see him over the phone. “Hidden! Wait, you've not been trying to find it have you?”. When there was silence on the other end, he sighed loudly. “Jensen!”.

 

“There were things that I needed to finalise before I went off on leave and I never had a chance to do that, please Jared! I'll stay in bed for another 2 days, I promise but I just need to check up on a few things” the executive pleaded.

 

To be fair to his fiance, he had managed 5 whole days on strict bed rest without doing any work so he had surpassed what he had thought he'd do. If he carried on stressing like this then that would have been counter productive. “Fine, your cellphone is in my wardrobe in the suit jacket pocket that I wore for Chloe's wedding and your palm top is the pants pocket. I'll have to get your laptop for you when I get home because I've put it up high and you won't be able to reach it without standing on a chair and you're not doing that. So start with your palm top, you can access your emails and do the majority of things you want to do from there. Okay?”.

 

“Thank you” Jensen said excitedly.

 

Jared could hear the commotion of him getting up from the bed. “Jensen? You better still be in bed when I get home from work!”.

 

“Yes. I-don't have much choice anyway, because Loretta is here cleaning and it's almost like you've given her instructions not to let my ass leave the bed for more than 2 minutes because I've been shouted at several times already. Did you tell her to watch me like a hawk?” the pregnant man asked suspiciously.

 

Smirking, Jared cleared his throat. “I've got to go, they need me downstairs” he lied as he went to hang up the phone. “See you later”.

 

“No they don't. Jared!” Jensen shouted back when he heard the click of the phone signalling the end of the call. “See you later then!”.

 

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When Jared came home later that day, he found his fiance sulking on his palm top computer, but dutifully lying down in bed. “Come on, I told you where it was and you've got your cell phone too”.

 

On seeing his fiance, Jensen almost forgot why he was annoyed. “Did you bring the folders I asked?”.

 

Putting a briefcase down on the bed, Jared smiled and kissed the executive on the lips. “Of course I did boss. It's all in here plus some things that I need you to look over”. When Jensen went to open the briefcase he put a hand on his to stop him. “Woah, but not right now, okay? Come for a little walk with you me, you need to stretch out your legs”.

 

“A walk? Where the hell do you expect me to go for a walk Jared?” the pregnant man retorted.

 

“Relax, it's just downstairs and out into the garden that's all. The sun is still shining and it's warm outside. It's only a few paces and the fresh air will do you good. And then I can fill you in on how the meeting went this morning” Jared replied as he tried to sweeten the pot. “Come on, you must be aching to get up out of the bed”.

 

Jensen didn't need anymore convincing. Smiling, he got up from the bed and followed the other man down the stairs and out into the garden, puppies in tow, vying for his attention. Once outside, he walked a couple of times around the huge expanse of the garden and watched as Harley and Sadie chased each other's tails and barked happily. He kicked a ball around with his foot seeing as he couldn't bend down to pick it up to throw it and laughed when the puppies tried to catch it. When his legs started to protest, he sat down on one of the more comfy chairs under the shade in the garden.

 

“See? Don't you feel better?” the younger man asked a minute later as he brought out two glasses of ice cold juice for them.

 

Nodding his appreciation as he took a sip, Jensen relaxed back into the chair. “Yes. It's nice to feel fresh air on my face. Anyway, quit stalling, how did the meeting go?”.

 

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Jensen had done a full week on strict bed rest and he and Jared had seen Dr Lane that morning. She was satisfied with his progress and had now said that although he had to stay at home off work, he was allowed to walk around a little more as long as he didn't over do it and spent the majority of his day resting. He had just finished replying to some emails and returning some phone calls when the doorbell rang. He knew that Jared was still in the office and he wasn't expecting anyone else.

 

When he opened the front door, he was shocked to find the blonde assistant stood on the front door step. “Chloe? Um, Jared is still at the office”. He assumed she had a day off because she wasn't dressed in her usual smart attire. She had a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

 

“Yes, I know. It's you I wanted to see. I've been off today. I've been shopping and I was passing so I wanted to come and see you” Chloe said, with slight apprehension on her face.

 

The executive gestured for her to come in with his hand. “What can I do for you?”.

 

Chloe had momentarily forgotten about the flowers in her hand. “These are for you. I don't know whether you like flowers or not, but it's what people give to each other to say thank you, so, yeah, I got you flowers”.

 

Jensen took the bouquet and sniffed them. “Thank you, they're beautiful. I'll put them in a vase later on. Why are you saying thank you?”.

 

“For putting up with me and my un-filtered mouth last week” Chloe said bashfully.

 

The conversation was coming back to Jensen. “Oh. That. Have you-are you, you know.....”.

 

“Pregnant?” the blonde chipped in. When her boss nodded subtly, she pulled a face. “Yes. I finally plucked up the courage to take a test this morning”.

 

“Congratulations. Have you told Jimmy yet?” the pregnant man asked as he put his hands on his stomach. He cast his mind back to when he had to tell Jared that he was pregnant and how nervous and anxious he had felt about it.

 

“Not yet. I'm going to tell him tonight. To be honest with you, I don't know why I wanted to tell you first. I guess, believe it or not you helped me last week. You made something potentially scary, sound incredible, well, after scaring the crap out of me, but you put me at ease. Christ, I've tried my best to hate you, I really have, but you're making it really hard for me to loathe you”. The blonde was stood awkwardly in the hallway.

 

“Jimmy has been asking Jared lots of questions recently about his impending fatherhood. He's sounded quite keen on the idea of having children himself I believe. So my assumption would be that he'll be happy about it” Jensen replied.

 

Chloe beamed back at the revelation. “Yeah, he has joked that he wants a big family. Tonight it is then. See what I mean? I really can't find a reason to hate you right now! It's frustrating” she joked. “Thank you. Just one more thing though....”.

 

“Don't tell Jared?” Jensen pondered. When the blonde nodded he responded with his own nod. “You've got it. None of my business anyway, not my news to tell”.

 

The blonde smiled and then sighed. “Jared's been worried sick about you and you should have seen his face last week, the day after you got taken to hospital. He was so scared. He loves you and the babies more than anything in the world. I don't want him to worry about me too, so I want to wait a few weeks before I tell him. I've not even been to see the doctor yet or had a scan, so I don't want to get his hopes up until I know everything is okay. I'm literally just a few weeks gone I think” Chloe said rationally.

 

“I understand”. Jensen winced at a kick.

 

“You're okay though, right?” the blonde asked as she realised that she hadn't enquired about her boss' situation yet.

 

“We're all doing just fine, thank you. Is Jared handling things okay in the office? I know that he's more than capable of sorting things out, but he's not getting too stressed about it, is he?” the executive enquired as his worry turned to his fiance. He knew that he could count on the blonde woman to tell the truth.

 

Chloe nodded. “Honestly? He's probably over doing it, but he's a trooper and he knows how much the company means to you. Brad and Mike have stepped up a notch so they are helping take the brunt of the workload. But he wouldn't have it any other way. He doesn't want you under any more stress. I mean I don't know much about running an advertising company, obviously, but if you and him ever split up and Jared started his own company, you'd have some serious competition on your hands Mr Ackles”.

 

Although he knew that Chloe would of course be biased about her best friend, he also knew that she would always tell the truth so he took some comfort in the fact that Jared really did have everything under control. Before he had a chance to say anything else, he heard a key in the lock and the front door swung open.

 

Jared was surprised to see his best friend stood in the hallway. “Chlo? Sorry hon, you should have said you were coming over!”.

 

Chloe hugged her best friend. “I came to see Jensen”.

 

“Oh-okay then”. The younger man looked confused.

 

“I was passing and I just wanted to see if he was okay that's all. Got to suck up to the boss, he pays my wages, right?” Chloe joked as she pretended to whisper. “I've got to go, besides, I'll see you in work tomorrow Jared. You see me like nearly every day”.

 

“Okay. No worries. See you tomorrow” Jared said, still confused at the situation.

 

“Bye” the petite blond said as she let herself out.

 

Putting his briefcase down by the front door, Jared looked at his fiance with suspicion. “Since when have you and Chloe been BFF's?”.

 

Jensen followed the other man into the kitchen. “She's not so bad”.

 

Jared knew not to press on the subject anymore. He was glad that the people that mattered most in his life were finally getting on properly. “You haven't asked me about work today yet? I've been back for a whole minute already” he joked. “That's usually the first thing you ask me about the second I get in through the door”.

 

“I trust you. You've got everything under control I'm sure. And if there's something that you need me to do or sign, you'll let me know about it, right?” the pregnant executive stated calmly.

 

“Wow. Who are you and what have you done with my fiance?” Jared asked in exasperation.

 

“Screw work for now. I mean it, these two in here are my next project. There's nothing pending that needs to be taken care of urgently, everything can wait. And if people can't wait a month for me because I'm on paternity leave, then quite frankly, I don't want to take them on as clients, they can find another company to take care of their advertising needs. Theoretically I'm all set for life, so my company can be put on the back burner for a few weeks”. Jensen grabbed his fiance's hands and put them on the spot where the babies were moving.

 

Jared was still shocked at his boss' sudden change of heart. “Wow”.

 

“I want you to enjoy some time off too before the girls arrive. I don't want you to stress yourself out. I'm not saying that you can't handle the stress of the office, because I know that you can, I just don't want you burning out because you feel like you have to please me, whether you want to do it or not. If you don't want to work at all then you don't have to” Jensen said.

 

“I want to” Jared insisted.

 

Jensen could see his fiance's stubborn streak coming out in him. That's one of the reasons why he had a fascination with him in the first place. “Fine. Just don't over do it, okay? We are going to have two babies in less than 3 weeks time so we are going to need as much energy as possible for that”.

 

Jared sighed. “Okay. Maybe I'll do a few hours everyday instead of full days. Everyone can carry on with their ongoing advertising campaigns and promotions, Brad and Mike can work on renewals and we'll put a hold on securing new contracts for a month or so. How does that sound boss?”.

 

“That sounds pretty darn good. Would you like to join me for our stroll around the garden? The puppies have nearly learned to catch the ball properly. It's very cute” the older man said.

 

“Cute? Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say that word! Let's go” Jared said as he took his fiance's hand. Whatever had made Jensen have a change of heart, he was truly thankful.

 

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	45. Chapter 45

Jensen was frantically scrubbing the work surfaces in the kitchen when Jared walked in after he came home from work.

Jared was torn between amusement and worry. He had never seen his fiance clean and doubted whether he had ever done it in his life before. “Jensen? What are you doing?”.

The executive didn't even look up from the task. “What does it look like I'm doing?”. 

“Er......cleaning. But you don't clean. You have Loretta and didn't she just come this morning and clean for you? I'm sure that she's already done the kitchen because it's spotless in here” the younger man observed.

The heavily pregnant man sighed as put down the bottle of bleach and sponge. “Yes. But I've never realised before, this stuff only kills 99.99% of germs. What about the rest of the germs. I can't have germs in the house, not with two babies on the way!”. He seemed frantic at the thought. Loretta had left the bottle of bleach out by mistake and he had caught a glimpse of it.

“You are meant to be resting. Everything is clean, I promise you! You could eat off here. Please tell me you've not been running around like this the whole day?” Jared asked, but already knowing the answer.

Jensen's face gave it away. “I just needed to check that we had everything. I may have moved some things around in the drawers and re-folded some of the baby clothes. I just want everything to be perfect. The C-section is in 10 days time but they could come at any time now and I don't know.....I've just had this feeling that I need to get everything organised. I haven't even packed my bag yet for the hospital, not properly anyway. I don't even know what I need!”.

Jared couldn't help the smile that breached his face. “Well Mr Ackles, I believe the baby books would call that nesting”.

The pregnant executive put his hand on his huge stomach and exhaled loudly as he quickly sat down on one of the chairs. “Oh my God”.

“Are you okay? What's wrong?”. The younger man shot over to comfort his fiance's sudden outburst. Is something wrong? Talk to me” he pressed on when he didn't receive an answer.

“I've not read any of the baby books. I've been so wrapped up in work, the charity, the battle with my parents......I've not read a single page of any baby book. You've read them all, you know everything there is to know about being pregnant when it should be me that should be reading up about what's happening to my own body! I don't know anything. I'm not prepared!” Jensen said in realisation as he started a new freak out.

Jared knelt down and put his hands on the other man's thighs and stroked them reassuringly. “It's fine. I've read those books because I then know how to support and comfort you through all of this because right now there's not much else that I can do until they arrive. You don't need to read the pregnancy books because you are doing it all yourself and you are doing an amazing job at it. So I'm reading them for you, for us. Besides, you can skip pretty much towards the end of the books now anyway. We are on page 327 out of 352 right now”.

“You even know the damn page numbers? Are you serious?”.

“Sssshh. You need to conserve every last bit of energy in the last couple of weeks so keep calm and rest up”.

“Rest? That's all I've done is rest! If I rest anymore my ass will be glued to the damn couch”.

“And the babies can hear everything that we say right now, so careful what you say” Jared pointed out.

Jensen looked surprised. “They can hear us? Really? Wow, What else?”.

Jared tried to recall more information. “They are practising their breathing and opening and closing their eyes. They are both getting pretty big and fat now and their lungs are fairly well matured too. They've had nearly another 2 weeks in there since you went into pre-term labour. Another 10 days and they'll be even stronger”.

“Thank you Jared” the pregnant man said as he looked down at himself and envisaged the babies inside opening and closing their eyes. “I'm going to go and sit back down on the couch. You're right. This kitchen is probably completely germ free knowing Loretta”.

“We don't want it too clean, because the babies need to build up resistance to germs anyway. Do you want me to bring you anything? I'll get food started in a bit” the younger man said.

Jensen pointed to the fridge. “Just some cold water please. Maybe the baby book too? See what's in store for me over the next couple of weeks!”.

“No worries” Jared laughed.

 

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Jared was sorting through some mail and paperwork on the kitchen table whilst updating his boss on the day's events. “So the renewal contracts are all drawn up, I just need you to sign it that's all and I'll get them posted off”.

Jensen reached out for the contract and grabbed a pen from the sideboard and scribbled his signature on the paper. 

As he moved some papers aside, Jared picked up a flyer for a charity event in 2 days time with an invitation for Jensen with an option for a plus one. “What's this?” he asked as he held up the invite.

“An invitation” Jensen said simply. “I get several every month, so I've just ignored it like the others”.

“Yeah I know but why haven't you RSPvd to it?”. Jared scanned the invitation and the flyer.

Jensen almost looked shocked at it as if the answer was obvious. “I just told you that I get loads sent out to me. Besides, I'm on bed rest remember, something that you are keen to reinforce!”.

“You've been nagging me to take you out of the house for days now and I give you an opportunity to break free and you're turning me down! It's a charity auction where you will be sitting down eating food. I think we can probably make an exception here”. Jared wasn't so sure why his fiance was being evasive about the whole thing.

Jensen sighed. “I'm practically full term with twins!” he said trying another excuse. “I'm having them in 5 days time if you hadn't have forgotten!”.

“Definitely not forgotten! But this will be the last night we can go out before the babies arrive, make the most of our freedom” Jared said practically.  
“Well, I've got nothing to wear and there's no point in buying something just for one night, it's too much effort”. Jensen frowned and shifted his position on the couch.

“How about the suit you wore for Chloe's wedding?” Jared enquired. Now that he had finally got his fiance to abide by the rules with regards to resting, he was taking it to the extreme now.

“Doesn't fit me anymore! There's not enough material in the world to make me a suit that fits right now and I'm not forking out anymore money because I don't intend on being pregnant again after this!”. The pregnant executive was running out of valid excuses. Now that he was used to resting most of the day, the thought of going out somewhere was too much. He was beyond exhausted.

Jared sighed as he tried to conjure up another reason for them to go when a thought came to him. “This isn't about money for a new suit, that's peanuts to you. Is this about your parents? They know now Jensen there's no reason to hide from people now!”. 

Sighing loudly, Jensen rubbed his eyes. “I know but there'll be so many people I know there. I just don't really want the attention right now when I'm so close to my due date. I'm not a freak show for people to gawk at”.

“Don't you want to show off your fiance to people, am I that bad? Are you that ashamed?”. Jared tried another tactic along with his puppy dog eyes.

“God no”. Jensen was starting to feel bad now. “That's not what I meant. Really? You want us to go? Why do you want to go to some boring charity event, seriously?”.

Jared knew that he was close to winning. “It will be good for the company. Show people that the company is still extremely successful and that you are still out there. Maybe put your feelers out and see if we can get some more contracts when we start up new contracts again. There's going to be some very rich people and executive's there Jensen. You know it makes sense from a business side of things plus there's an all you can eat buffet. Make the most of being able to eat what you want!”.

Jensen sighed heavily again as he tried to put his hands somewhere but his stomach was making that difficult. He never thought he'd be this big towards the end. “Fine. I'm almost tempted to go into labour just to prove a point to you!”.

“You wouldn't dare! Besides, we don't want that. We need them to stay in until we are nice and safe in the hospital where Dr Lane is ready and waiting for you. And seriously, I know that it's some boring charity auction, but it really is going to be the last time we go somewhere together as a couple before the babies are born. I'm sure you can still get into that suit from Chloe's wedding, just leave the buttons undone on the jacket or something. There's some great things to bid on too!” Jared could still see his fiance's lack of enthusiasm so he wasn't going to push it anymore. “I'm sorry. I know you're exhausted right now. We don't have to go, it was just an idea that's all. I thought the change of scenery will do you good”.

Jensen sighed. “No, come on. Let's go. You're right, plus the all-you-can-eat buffet has swayed it for me and it's for a really good cause”.

Jared almost jumped up and down in excitement. “Okay, so I'm going to wear those suit pants that you like on me, the ones that you said make my ass look like a peach, right?”. He wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

“Yes please. You need to make it worth my while. Although it is kind of mean seeing as I can't jump you right now. But I can look. And I'll definitely be looking” the executive said as he smirked back.

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As soon as they walked into the conference room for the Charity Auction, Jensen clocked a familiar face, one that he did not want to run into. “Crap”.

“What is it?” Jared asked. He looked over in the direction that his fiance was looking at and saw him too. “Jeff. Don't let him upset you, not tonight. Let's just leave it”.

Jensen shook his head. “No. I'm going over to have a word. Maybe speak to his latest whore too”.

“Oh, no, come on. Just leave him to it. Don't go looking for trouble, please” Jared pleaded. But it was too late.

The executive waddled over to his ex-lover and interrupted his conversation. “Well, there's me thinking that you had to be rich to come to events like this. You actually need money for that”.

Jeff snarled back when he saw Jensen. “Man, this definitely confirms it. You're carrying an elephant, right? Because nobody can be that pregnant and big for this long! If I were as big as you right now, I wouldn't want to leave the house!”.

Jensen wasn't going to rise to the taunts. He was thankful that Jared was by his side and was keeping quiet. He looked over to the man next to Jeff and noticed a ring on his finger, a ring that he had seen before. “Hi, I'm Jensen. Nice ring”. He extended out his hand.

The man took the executive's hand and shook it. “I'm David. Jeff's fiance”.

“Yes. I asked him to marry me a few days ago and he said yes. We're so happy aren't we darling” Jeff said as he hugged his fiance.

“That's nice. Congratulations” Jensen said. “How did he propose to you? Did he take you to a fancy restaurant, then get down on one knee and profess his love to you, tell you that he doesn't need money to be happy, just your love and affection? Then you fell for it and happily said yes? And now the wedding plans are nearly finalised already? Plaza all booked up? Am I close?” he asked as he watched his ex-lover's new fiance's face pale by the second.

David's voice cracked as he tried to speak. “Yes.....how did you.....”.

“He did the same crap to me. Same ring too in fact. Only a week before our supposed wedding, which incidently had never been booked, he took off, took my ring and stole my money. Luckily I had the sense not to give him access to my main bank account so he didn't get away with too much. But I'm guessing that you're pretty rich so I would just keep an eye on your bank balance” Jensen warned.

Jeff's face was like thunder. “Jensen? Shut up! David? Honey, come on, don't believe his crap. He's just jealous, a bitter ex that can't let go of the past. It's obvious that he's still in love with me. Don't believe his lies!”.

David looked torn as he looked between to two men. “I- I need a moment to think Jeff, just give me a minute!” he said as he stormed off.

Jensen tried hard to stop the smile from forming on his face. “Oh and don't try and blackmail me with crap about telling my parents blah blah blah. They know, they know that I'm gay and they know about the babies, so don't even try that one. David looks pretty pissed, I would go after him if I were you. Hopefully he won't be too mad! Sorry about all of that, these pregnancy hormones must be making me go crazy”.

“You-” Jeff piped up as he took a step closer to his ex and made a fist, holding it by his face.

Jared moved quickly and stood between the angry man and his fiance. “I don't think so buddy!”.

“Go on. Hit me, hit the heavily pregnant man if you think it will make you look big and tough. But there's a room full of people, full of witnesses and I would press charges and then you can be someone's prison bitch for a few months”. The pregnant executive wasn't scared at all. When Jeff backed up, he smiled. “That's what I thought. Spineless and no balls”.

Jeff stepped back and backed away slowly, disappearing out the room, presumably to find his fiance.

“You're right, this is fun! I'm so glad you made me come” the executive said with the biggest grin on his face.

“Jesus Jensen! What the hell did you do that for?” Jared asked in exasperation. He then recalled a snippet of the conversation from a couple of minutes ago. “Wait.......I thought he was just.....you never told me you were engaged to him and close to marrying him!”.

“Yeah. I dodged a bullet there, right? Shall we go and see which table we're sat at?” the pregnant executive asked as he wandered off to the table plans.

“You're not going to start anymore fights are you?” the younger man asked worriedly. “You're really enjoying playing the pregnant hormones card aren't you!”.

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Relax, I'm all done. I just wanted to warn that poor sucker he had with him. No-one should have to go through what I went through, I was just giving him the heads up. Maybe I didn't do it quite the way I should have, but he deserved to know the truth”.

Jared could tell that it still touched a nerve with his fiance. “Wow. He really hurt you didn't he? You really loved him. Maybe I should go and punch him!”.

“Nuh uh! I'm having our babies in 3 days and I don't want to be a single parent because you're in prison. Just leave it, he's not worth it. “Okay, we're on table 8. Right next to the buffet too! This night just gets better and better!” Jensen said excitedly.

 

After truly eating all he could, Jensen was taking part in one of the bids. It was for a signed basketball jersey. Jared had mentioned that it would be pretty cool, so he was determined to get it for him at any cost seeing as money was no issue for him.

Jared was horrified at how fast and high the bids for the jersey was and cringed every time his fiance calmly raised his hand at each bidding. The price was now obscenely high and it was between him and one other man in the corner of the room. “Jensen? Seriously!” he whispered.

Jensen shrugged his shoulders and remained firm. After all it was for a cancer charity. Eventually, the other man in the room folded and he had won the bidding.

“Gentleman at table 8! An extremely generous bid! Thank you so much! Would you like to come up and claim your prize sir?” the auctioneer shouted over to Jensen.

“Jared? Can you go up for me?” the heavily pregnant executive asked his fiance.

“Just go and get it, it's fine. Go on” Jared whispered back.

Sighing, Jensen heaved himself up from his chair and slowly walked over to get the signed jersey. He felt all eyes on him and there were a few whispers. He nearly got all the way back to his chair when he was stopped by a familiar face.

“Jensen? What a- surprise! Now I know why you've not been in the office when I've called for you. I thought that you were sick or something” a short black haired man said.

Putting his hand on his stomach, Jensen laughed. “Yeah, or something. Two things in fact. Well I should be back in a few weeks so just leave me a message and I'll get back to you soon Doug”.

When Jensen finally made it back to his seat, he handed over the basketball jersey to Jared.

“I can't believe how much you paid for this. This is insane. I didn't actually expect you to go and bid on it” Jared said, still in shock.

“Jared? Quit fretting will you? The contract that you renewed the other day was worth ten times more than what I just paid for that. It's a present and the money has gone to a good cause” Jensen stated.

Jared smiled. “Fine. Thank you very much. I'm getting this framed and it's going in the hallway, pride of place!”.

The auctions were all done and the crowd of people in the room was thinning out as the night was drawing to a close. They had scouted out some potential future business agreements so had deemed the night a success. “I think we're done here. I'm exhausted and my back is killing me. Can we go home?”.

“Of course we can. Let's go” the younger man said as he helped his heavily pregnant boss and fiance up from the chair. “I'd say that you've enjoyed yourself tonight, right?”.

“I have, I really have. Plus the food was really good. Although I could go for some ice-cream right now. Maybe one of those things from McDonalds, the white ice-creamy stuff!” Jensen said.

“A McFlurry? You want a McFlurry? After everything else you've eaten tonight? I'm stuffed!” Jared said rubbing his stomach. The thought of eating anything else was almost making him feel queasy.

Jensen was un-phased by the question. “Yes, one of those. I really want a McFlurry”. The questioning look on Jared's face said it all. “Come on. I've got 3 days left and I can't exactly get any bigger can I? I've got to make the most because after this I'm eating salad for the foreseeable future.

“Would the taxi driver go through the drive thru' for you?” Jared asked practically.

“Oh I'm sure that he will Jared. You pay them enough they'll take you wherever you want to go. And if not, then you'll have to do a run later on for me” the executive joked. “I'm really not kidding when I say I want a McFlurry”.

“Don't worry, I'll make sure we stop in the drive thru' then” the younger man replied. “I'm not going to tell you 'I told you so' if it makes you ill later on”.

Jensen laughed. “It won't!”. He rubbed at a twinge in his back.

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Jensen groaned as he looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 4.14am. He was battling the worst bout of indigestion possible. As he was having trouble sleeping, he was half sat up in bed. He moaned again as quietly as he could.

Jared's eyes shot open as he heard his pregnant fiance groan in discomfort. He sat bolt upright and switched the lamp on by the side of him. “Are you okay? Are you having a contraction?”.

“No. Heartburn, indigestion, whatever it is. I ate too much, you were right, so you can say 'I told you so', I deserve it. Ow” the pregnant man groaned again as he rubbed the top of his huge stomach.

“I'm not going to do that Jensen. Do you want me to go and get your tablets and a glass of water? Or some milk maybe to settle things down?” Jared suggested.

“Yes please. It's really hurting right now. I feel like I need to throw up too. I've missed that part of being pregnant!” Jensen gagged. “It's okay, I think I'm good for now”. He moaned again, this time from his back. It probably didn't help that he was half propped up in bed as the past week, it was the only semi-comfortable sleeping position. “I'm going to need a new back after this is over!”.

Jared was up out of bed. “Okay, just sit tight, I'll go and get you your things. I'll get a bowl too in case you are sick”.

Jensen couldn't cope with sitting in bed anymore, so he stood up and winced at the pain in both his back and under his diaphragm. Walking around seemed to ease the discomfort in his back. As soon as Jared appeared, he took the antacids and downed the milk in one go. “Thank you. I'm sorry, you've got to get up in 2 hours. You've got a busy day ahead of you, wrapping everything up before the C-section. We've only got today and tomorrow left. I'll go and sleep in one of the spare bedrooms so I don't disturb you anymore”.

“Don't be silly Jensen, this is our bedroom, your bedroom, stay. I need to get used to being disturbed during the night. If you're awake, then I'm awake with you too, okay? That's why God invented caffeine, right? So come back to bed” Jared insisted.

“I need to stand for a little bit. My back is killing me right now. It feels like it's in knots” Jensen breathed as another spasm took him by surprise.

“Okay, stay where you are”. Jared went to stand behind his fiance and he moved his hands down his back, trying to work out any kinks he could find. He stopped when the pregnant man groaned loudly. “Aw, crap, sorry, I thought it would help”.

“No, no, it is. It feels really good, don't stop. Go harder actually. Yes, that's it” Jensen moaned in temporary relief. After a few minutes, he sighed and took hold of Jared's hands and put them on his stomach. “Thank you. The tablets are working too. I think I might be able to try and sleep again”.

Jared helped the other man back into bed and helped to prop him up again with his pillows. “Don't worry about waking me again. Don't suffer in silence, let me know if I can get you anything else, okay?”.

“I will do. Jared? Can I come into the office with you tomorrow? There's a few more things that I need to pick up” Jensen asked.

“That's probably not the best idea Jensen. You really do need to rest up now. Let me know what you need and I'll bring them back for you. We'll discuss it later, try to go back to sleep” Jared said tiredly as he reached over and turned off the light.

Jensen blinked in the darkness. He knew that he probably wouldn't be able to sleep. Nonetheless he closed his eyes and tried.

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	46. Chapter 46

  
  


Jared had managed to get to work on time and his disturbed night's sleep hadn't left him too tired. Jensen had still insisted on coming into the office with him and they had argued about it, causing Jared to leave the house slightly later than usual.

 

Although the excruciating indigestion had resolved, Jensen was still having pain in his back and was struggling to get comfortable on the couch. He was fed up of sitting down and feeling restless. He had tried to take his mind off things and had even gone into the nursery again to check that he had everything he needed.

 

After going through a few emails on his laptop, he slammed the lid shut and adjusted his position on the couch, trying to find the right place to put the cushions to no avail. He decided that he couldn't cope with sitting around the house for another minute. He needed to get out. He would get a taxi to the office, pick up what he needed, maybe go via the store on his way home and be back within the hour. He knew that Jared wouldn't be happy with that but at the end of the day he wasn't on lockdown and could come and go as he pleased. If he was lucky enough, then he might not even bump into Jared. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialled the number for a taxi and got to his feet to try and alleviate the pain in his back.

 

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Jensen got out of the cab and told the driver to keep the meter running as he wouldn't be very long. He managed to get all the way up to the top floor in the elevator without being seen. The door to his office was open and he sneaked in and went straight to the filing cabinet to retrieve what he needed.

 

“What the hell are you doing here Jensen? I told you to stay at home!” Jared chastised as he walked into the office.

 

Jensen sighed. He had nearly gotten away with it. “I’ve just come to pick up a couple of files like I said I wanted to, so quit fretting. I just needed to get out of the house. I'm going insane here! I’ll be out of here in a few minutes. It was okay for me to go to the charity auction last night, in fact you insisted!”.

 

“That was different. This is work and you shouldn't be in work. Did you drive?” Jared asked as he narrowed his eyes. “Because you shouldn’t be taking the risk”.

 

“Relax Jared. I took a cab, okay? I can't even fit behind the wheel right so thank you for reminding me of that! And God forbid I should be let out of the house because you know I’m pregnant!”. Jensen winced at a pain in his back but the other man was so pissed he didn't notice.

 

“Yes and you’re still on bed rest” the assistant argued.

 

The pregnant man sighed heavily again and braced his hand firmly up against his back to work out another kink. “No, correction, I was on bed rest, now I’m not. I’ve done what everyone has asked me. I’ve been resting for nearly 4 weeks and I’m climbing the walls, so excuse me if I’ve decided to leave the house for an hour to go to my own office, in my own company, which I've not been to in nearly a month!”.

 

“Yes but the C-section is booked in 2 days time! Less than 48 hours in fact! You are full term for twins and technically you could go into labour at any time which we want to avoid” Jared said worriedly, as he assessed his boss for any signs of discomfort. “And I told you to tell me which files you wanted so I could bring them home with me. There's nothing that you need that urgently”.

 

“That defeats the object of me getting some fresh air and coming here. Seriously, you can give me that! Do you know how hard it’s been for me?” Jensen said. “Look, just get on with what you were doing and I’ll be gone in a bit and back home before you know it”.

 

Jared folded his arms across his chest. “How are you going to carry the files?”.

 

“Oh for God’s sake it’s only carrying them to the cab, and I’ve got my briefcase with me. I'm carrying around 2 babies plus a load of extra weight, so a few files aren't going to make much of a difference here, so stop being such an ass” the heavily pregnant man huffed as he stuffed some files and folders into his case.

 

“And stop being such a bitch! I know you're frustrated, I get it! Why are you being like this? I’m worried about you that’s all!” the young assistant said, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself down.

 

Jensen sighed heavily. “I wonder why I'm 'being a bitch' as you so eloquently put it Jared. You have been watching me a like hawk for weeks now, fussing over me every second and I've put up with it, I've appreciated it, I really have and I don't know what I'd do without you. But I’ve done everything that the doctor’s have asked me to. Do you know what it’s like leaving your company in charge of someone else whilst you sit on your ass and stew?”.

 

Jared scoffed. “Oh, so we're back to you not trusting me again then, is this it? After everything I’ve done for you? Do you know what? I’m going, I’ve got a meeting downtown on your behalf! When I get home, I hope to God that your bitch fit has eased off or I'll be begging Dr Lane to do the C-section a day earlier!”.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m going straight home. God forbid I should stop off at the store on my way home to get something to eat!” Jensen huffed again and arched his back at another pain in his back.

 

“You are being unreasonable and blowing this all out of proportion Jensen” Jared said calmly as he shook his head and followed his boss out into the corridor.

 

Jensen was punching the buttons on the elevator to get it to open. “Me blowing this out of proportion? Whatever!”. He adjusted the position of the briefcase in his hands.

 

“Fine!” Jared shouted back. “I’m taking the stairs! I don't want to be around you right now”.

 

“Suits me!”. Rolling his eyes, Jensen stepped into the elevator. Once inside, he pressed the button to the ground floor and the doors slid closed. He was angry at being treated and made to feel like he was a delicate china doll that would break at any second, and like a ticking time bomb. He tried to slow his breathing down. Jared was worried about him and only looking out for him and had his best interests at heart, but it was stifling sometimes. He wanted to make the most of his last 2 days of freedom.

 

Suddenly the elevator made a loud grating and stuttering noise and shook momentarily before grinding to a halt somewhere between the 8th and 9th floor as Jensen clung onto the hand rail for support and balance. Throwing his briefcase to the floor he cursed and tried pressing the buttons on the elevator but nothing was happening.

 

“Fuck! This can't be good!”.

 

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Jared ran down several flights of stairs until he wound up in the coffee room where Brad and Mike were sat having their afternoon coffee. He was sweating from the exertion. He walked over to the coffee machine and started to slam things around as he made up a cup of coffee.

 

Brad and Mike looked up each with raised eyebrows.

 

The older man spoke up first. “Jared? Everything okay? I thought I saw Jensen just now. Is he here?”.

 

Slamming down the sugar pot with a violent thud, Jared scoffed loudly. “Yes”.

 

“Oh, how’s he’s doing?” Mike asked, now that the initial ice breaker had been determined.

 

“He’s…..stubborn….bloody minded….I mean I’m just trying to help and look after him. He’s infuriating!” the assistant said.

 

Mike laughed. “Er, yeah, is it only now you’ve realised that? I thought he was on bed rest until the twins are born”. He earned a deathly glare from Jared and then he bowed his head down for a second. “Oh…”.

 

“Yeah, oh! To be honest, I'm surprised he's made it this long without coming in and checking up on things. I guess I can't be too mad at him”. Jared checked his watch and took a few sips of his coffee. It tasted stale and he poured the rest down the sink. Chloe was off today, hence why no one had made any decent coffee. “Anyway, I’ve gotta head to this meeting, I'm already late, so I’ll catch up with you later”.

 

“Don’t worry about Jensen. Come on he’s tough as nails. He’s the ice queen, right?” Brad stated. “God this coffee really does taste like crap”.

 

“Yeah, Chloe is back in tomorrow so we’ll get the good stuff then” Jared said as he gathered up his things and headed out the door and down a few more flights of stairs until he was stood outside the front of the building. He would have walked to downtown, but he was running short on time. He caught site of a cab right outside the door and tapped on the window.

 

The cab driver rolled down the window. “Sorry buddy, I’m waiting for someone, I’m on the meter. He said he’d only be 10 minutes max, but it’s going on twenty now”.

 

Jared smiled. “Okay, no worries, thanks anyway” he said as he looked down the length of the street to check for any other cabs when he looked toward the cab again. Wandering back over, he tapped the window again. When the cab driver went to protest, he shook his head and cut him short. “I know you’re waiting for someone. Is his name Mr Ackles?”.

 

“Er, I’m not sure…..” the driver said cautiously.

 

“Um, is he pregnant, I mean heavily pregnant?” Jared asked curiously.

 

“Yeah. I thought I’d have to take a detour to the hospital or something, he looks about ready to explode man” the driver whistled.

 

Digging deep into his pockets, Jared pulled out some money and handed it over to the driver. “He’s got some pretty heavy files with him. Here’s an extra 30 if you carry them into the house for him, okay? He’s quite stubborn and might put up some resistance, but make sure you carry them in for him. Don’t take no for an answer”.

 

“No worries man. Is he going to be much longer because I’m actually parked in a no wait zone and it's a hefty fine if the cops bust me” the driver said fretfully.

 

Jared looked behind him where the foyer was and the elevator doors were. “No, he shouldn’t be too much longer. I’ll go check”. Checking his watch again, he realised that nearly 10 minutes had lapsed since he’d last seen his boss. It didn’t take that long to get down in the elevator. His fiance had probably sneaked back into his office to get more things or to do some work knowing him. He walked back into the building and to the front desk where a woman was sat at a computer. “Hi Daisy. Has Mr Ackles come back down yet?”.

 

The red head shook her head. “Nope”.

 

“Okay, thank you hon” Jared said. Seeing as he’d ran down the stairs earlier, he didn’t fancy the long trudge up twelve floors, so he opted for the elevator. He went over to the controls and pressed the button and waited.

 

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Jensen punched all the buttons on the controls several times and waited a couple of minutes to see if anything happened.

 

He inhaled and exhaled slowly and put a hand on his heavily pregnant stomach as he tried to calm down the babies and his own anxiety at the possibility of being stuck in the elevator. His back was killing him and he actually longed for his couch. Why hadn't he just stayed put where he was?

 

When nothing seemed to be happening, he pressed the alarm button and waited for a reply. It took about 30 seconds, but then a cool, bored sounding voice came from the intercom.

 

“Yeah?”.

 

“It’s Mr Ackles. I think I’m stuck. The elevator has just stopped for some reason, I’m not moving. Any chance of getting it fixed?” the executive begged.

 

The intercom man cleared his throat. “Er…yeah I’ll log the call and get someone out soon”.

 

Jensen shook his head. “Log the call? Soon? No, that’s not good enough, I want someone out here now to come and fix it!”. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach and a sharp pain rippled through his back.

 

“We’re doing our best sir, just stay calm and hang fire”.

 

“Hang fire? I can’t exactly go anywhere now can I?” the pregnant man bellowed back into the intercom as he punched his fist against one of the panels. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll just, wait then”. His feet were starting to ache already and he needed to sit down to try and ease the pain in the balls of his feet and his lower back. Carefully, holding onto the handrails he managed to lower himself down onto the floor. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get himself back up off the floor, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it. Sighing, he grabbed his briefcase and pulled out one of the files and began to flick through it to give him something to do to pass some time and distract him from his current situation.

 

 

\---------------------------

 

Jared had had enough of waiting for the elevator. Nothing seemed to be happening and it wasn’t making any of it’s usual whirring noises. Giving in, he strode back over to the front desk. “Daisy?”.

 

The red head looked up and smiled. “No, he’s still not come down”.

 

“No, I know. The elevator doesn’t seem to be working. Is there a problem with it?” the assistant asked as he checked his watch again. It was five minutes before he absolutely had to leave for his meeting.

 

“Er, hang on, gimme a sec, I’ll check” Daisy said. She picked up the phone and punched in a couple of numbers and started up a conversation whilst the assistant looked on anxiously and drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently. “Yeah, it’s broken down. A call has just come in actually from someone stuck inside. The engineers have been informed and are on their way. They don’t know how long it will take though because they’re on another call the other side of town and you know, it’s rush hour too”.

 

“Damn it. I don’t really fancy walking up all those stairs. It was bad enough running down” Jared drawled. He then put everything together and came to a conclusion as the feeling of uneasiness made his skin prickle. “Wait! There’s someone inside? Did they say who?”.

 

The receptionist shrugged her shoulders and looked disinterested.

 

“Get back on that phone right now and find out who’s stuck in there” Jared said insistently.

 

Daisy picked the phone up again to get more information and her eyes widened. She thanked the person on the other end of the phone and put it back down in the receiver. “Mr Ackles”.

 

Jared clasped his hands over his face and cursed. “Crap! Do they know he’s pregnant? I mean he’s not just pregnant, he’s to term and he doesn’t need this kind of stress, he could go into labour at any point, but we can't have that. Fuck, ring the engineers back again and tell them they need to hurry!”.

 

“I’m not your personal assistant! It’s Jared right?” the red head asked as she picked up a nail file and began to file one her manicured fingernails.

 

“Oh for God’s sake, let me do it then!” Jared said as he threw his bag down and went behind the desk to commandeer the phone to the receptionist’s protests. “Number?”.

 

“There” Daisy said when she stopped protesting. “Anything else I can do?”.

 

Jared was halfway through punching the numbers into the telephone when he looked over to the other woman. “Yeah, there’s a cab outside waiting for Jen- Mr Ackles, tell him he can go now and give him……this” he said fishing out more money from his pants pocket.

 

Daisy huffed but took the money and went to carry out her errand. When she came back a minute or so later, she found Jared rifling through pages of a telephone directory. “Hey! Do you know how long it took me to put those in order! What are you looking for?”.

 

“The elevator intercom. Can you open up the comm in there? Connect me somehow? I need to make to sure that’s he okay, please?” Jared flapped.

 

After a few more button presses, Daisy handed over the telephone to the agitated man.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jensen was flicking through the files and deep in thought as he analysed one of the charts when a familiar voice came through the intercom.

 

“Jensen?” Jared’s voice boomed.

 

“Yeah?” the executive answered as he shifted awkwardly, his back protesting the hardness of the floor. He recognised the voice immediately. “I’m mad at you”. He turned another page and was impressed by what he saw.

 

“Yeah? Well I’m mad at you too. If you had stayed at home then this wouldn’t be happening, you know?” Jared pointed out.

 

“Well, congratulations, you win, you were right because I’m the one stuck in an elevator right now. At least I’ve got some reading material. I’m looking through some of the figures. I like what you’ve done with them”. The executive sighed.

 

Jared’s voice sighed heavily across the intercom. “You’re reading the finance files?”.

 

Jensen nodded his head then realised that no-one could see him. “Of course I’m reading the files, what else am I going to do?”. A sudden pain assaulted him and his eyes flew open when he realised that his stomach was rock hard. He was having a contraction, a strong one at that. This was a different pain to the Braxton Hicks and more like the pains he was having when he had gone into pre-term labour, but on a bigger scale. He bit down on his lip to stop himself from moaning out aloud. He realised that he had probably been in early labour all night and all morning given the pains he had been having in his back. He had read the chapters on labour in the baby book.

 

“Jensen? You okay?” Jared asked when he realised that things had gone very quiet from the other end.

 

“Fine!” the pregnant man said in a strained voice. He breathed through the contraction and balled up his fists. Before he knew what was happening, there was an intense pressure in his groin and warm liquid gushed out, soaking his pants as his water broke. “Holy fuck”.

 

Jared started to drum his fingers against the receiver anxiously. “Jensen? What’s going on in there? Everything okay? Please, talk to me”.

 

Jensen somehow managed to move across the floor to get away from the fluid that had seeped out. Once the intensity of the contraction had tapered off enough for him to speak he enquired feebly. “Any sign of the engineers? Because there may be a possibility that I’m….in labour right now”.

 

 


	47. Chapter 47

“Any sign of the engineers? Because there may be a possibility that I’m….in labour right now”.

 

“Lab-what? Why do you say that? You can't be, we have a C-Section all booked, it's not possible. Are you sure?” Jared asked as he tried to stay calm. He was hoping for the possibility of those pesky Braxton Hicks.

 

“I'm pretty certain, because my damn water just broke and the contractions are getting stronger!” the labouring man admitted as he rocked his body from side to side to ease the growing pressure on his hips.

 

“Stronger? What the hell do you mean stronger? When did they even start Jensen?” the younger man stuttered. He could feel his heart rate increase exponentially at the thought of his fiance trapped and alone and in labour.

 

Jensen panted slowly and took his time in answering. “I’m not sure. Maybe the back pain I've had since last night was early labour? Who knows, I'm not a doctor Jared. That's all I know is that my back has been killing me for the past day and this morning it was getting worse. I’ve been having a few little twinges for a couple of hours now. I brushed them off. Don’t get mad Jared, I don’t need it right now, okay? Just get the engineers out here right now because otherwise they’ll be two extra people in here soon”.

 

Jared screwed up his eyes and tried to compose himself. He needed to stay calm for his fiance. He couldn’t even began to fathom how he must be feeling at the moment. This was not the way they had planned it. Jensen wanted to be in a state of the art birthing suite, with an operating room and a neo-natal unit on standby and he wanted drugs, lots and lots of drugs and to give birth in a safe, clean environment with the best OB/GYN money could buy. This was far from it, very far from it. The second baby was breech and the booked C-Section was by far the safest way to deliver her, deliver them both. He thought back to the early hours of this morning and how much pain Jensen had been in with his back. He kicked himself, he should have seen the signs. “Okay. Just stay calm for me. First labours are usually really slow, so we have plenty of time. Try not to panic. Do you know where the elevator is stuck? Between which floors?”.

 

Panting, the executive looked up the dial. “8th and 9th I think. I’m not too sure. Brad’s office is on the 9th floor”.

 

“Yeah. Yeah it is” Jared said calmly as an idea struck him. “Okay, Jensen, just stay calm and keep breathing for me. I’m going to hang up for a bit, but I’ll be back”.

 

“Don’t leave me Jared, please” Jensen begged as he laboured, feeling another strong contraction ripple through his stomach. “I don't think this is going to be a long labour somehow. Please, I need you”.

 

“I know honey, I’m coming to get you, okay? Hang on, we'll find a way, we'll get you to the hospital. I love you so much” Jared said down the phone. “Bye for now” he said as he reluctantly hung up the phone. Right on cue, a fire truck pulled up outside and several men walked into the foyer. Before the firemen had a chance to say anything, Jared grabbed them and ushered them to follow him. “This way….”.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

Brad was sat in his office typing on his computer when he heard commotion coming from the corridor. Getting to his feet, he opened the door to see Jared flapping about and having a heated conversation with three fireman. “Jared? What‘s going on?” he hollered.

 

The taller man turned around and saw the familiar form of the faithful employee. “Brad. The elevator is stuck, it’s broken down!”.

 

“Yeah, it does happen from time to time. I thought you had a meeting downtown, like, now!” Brad pondered, looking at his watch.

 

“Oh yeah, crap. Can you ring them please to cancel and give them my sincerest apologies. I need to sort this out! Jensen’s stuck in the elevator and he’s gone into labour and these douche bags here won’t help me out!” Jared shouted as he signalled to the fireman.

 

“Sir, I’ve told you, we can’t! We were told to come as a fire safety thing, make sure people can evacuate the building in the event of an emergency until the elevator gets fixed. We are merely here in case of an emergency” one of the firemen piped up.

 

Brad folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “That’s bull! This is an emergency!”.

 

Jared arched his back to make himself look taller. “Okay, my fiance is stuck in there, alone and scared and going to give birth to our babies, twins, if we don't get him out soon. The second baby is breech so it's very high risk and they could both die if things go wrong. So, I’m going to get those doors open and get in there with or without your help!”.

 

“We really don’t advise you doing anything. It’s against reg-”.

 

“I don’t care! Screw the regulations. Do you want to take the risk of him and my babies dying in there? Do you want that on your conscience? Brad, are you going to help me?” Jared asked with authority and purpose.

 

“Absolutely, I’ll ring down to six and give a few of the other men a ring to come and give us a hand. Start looking for something to wrench the doors open with. Do you know what floor he’s stuck on?” the senior employee asked.

 

“This one I think!” the assistant said uncertain on how he was going to proceed. Spotting a fire axe down the end of the corridor, he ran over to get it and retrieved it by smashing the glass to the disbelief of one of the fireman. “Sue me!” he argued back when they reminded him yet again about breaking several fire regulations. “Brad? Start looking for something to wedge the doors open with?”.

 

The firemen started to confer with each other and one of them piped up. “We’ll go and get a hydraulic ram. That will hold the doors open. We’ll be back, just don’t do anything drastic!”.

 

Brad disappeared into his office to make a few phonecalls and came back with a metal trashcan. “This is all I can find. It should be enough to hold the doors for a minute or so”.

 

Jared nodded his thanks and began to prise the doors open with the sharp end of the axe. It was seeming an impossible task, but he put all his strength and energy into it.

 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jensen was sat in complete silence in the elevator. He could hear the pounding of his own heart and his heavy breathing. It had only been a few minutes since the last contraction but he felt like another one was building already. He felt humiliated at the predicament he was in, trapped in an elevator, in labour and wearing soaking wet pants. If the elevator got fixed in the next 10 minutes he figured there would still be enough time to make it to the hospital, but he doubted that help was coming anytime soon. Jared had left him alone and as time went on, his hope was fading as fast as his labour was progressing. The second twin was still breech and there was a slim chance that she would turn before coming out. He had come too far to lose either baby. If he had waited just another 45 hours then he would be in the hospital having his scheduled C-Section, but he had needed to get out of the house and escape for a little while. Why on earth hadn't he hung on a little longer?

 

As another contraction built up he heard a banging noise from just above him, almost like someone was trying to get in, trying to open the doors. As he rode out the contraction and panted his way through it, he looked up in curiosity as an inch wide gap appeared in the doors above him, letting a little more light in. He heard a familiar voice shout down.

 

“Jared? Is that you? I’m down here!” Jensen bellowed.

 

Jared had managed to open the door a little. Peering though the small gap he could see his labouring fiance just down below him. “I’m here. We’re going to get you out! I told you I’d come and rescue you”. Brad was stood next to him with a few of the other guys and between them, they had managed to prise the doors open a little bit more until the gap had widened. Cursing, the assistant spoke to the other man. “It’s not wide enough, a little bit more, I can’t quite fit through”.

 

The pregnant man watched as the gap widened and he could clearly see his fiance’s face. “Jared. Never, ever hang up on me like that again, okay?”.

 

“Okay” Jared smiled back. He looked down and surveyed the situation. Jensen was sweating heavily and his face looked strained, and his cheeks hot and flushed. He could see straw coloured liquid on the floor, confirming Jensen's situation. “How are you holding up?”.

 

“Whoo…..I’ve been better!” the executive said sarcastically. Another contraction caused him to wince.

 

Brad had managed to wedge the trashcan in between the doors. “Jay? What’s your plan of action because this trashcan ain't going to hold for very long!”.

 

Jared shook his head and got back in touch with reality. “Right, okay. Um, I’m going to get down there” he declared as he surveyed the distance and concluded that he would have to jump. It was a good few feet but perfectly do-able and he had the height advantage.

 

“No, it’s too far, you’ll hurt yourself” Jensen whined, eyes lighting up with ever increasing fear.

 

“I can do it. Brad, just make sure that the doors stay open long enough for me to shimmy down there, okay? I'm not waiting for the firemen any longer. Just as well there's no fire to put out because we'll all be dead by now. And then ring for an ambulance. The firemen shouldn’t be too much longer with the ram, I hope”. Jared inhaled and exhaled deeply and looked down at his goal. “Okay, here goes!”. He breathed in and sucked everything in to squeeze through the gap as the other men kept their hands on the doors to help keep them open. Praying, he let his body drop down to the floor and fell in a heap next to his boss with a bang. The jump had been further than he had calculated.

 

Brad shouted down when he saw Jared crumpled on the floor. “You okay?”.

 

Jared uncrumpled himself and sat up. “Yeah I’m fine!”. The doors started to creak as the gap narrowed and the trashcan started to crease up like a pretzel. It was a close call and he didn’t want to think about what could have happened if things had gone wrong. He was brought out of his reverie by a hand grabbing onto him.

 

“Ja-red? What-a-way-to-make-an-entrance!” the labouring man huffed and puffed.

 

“I told you I’d come and rescue you, eh?” the younger man said amusedly as he put his hands on his pregnant fiance’s tummy. He frowned when he felt the muscles go rock hard. “So, I hear you’re having a baby?”.

 

Jensen nodded his head. “Yeah, soon I think. She feels really low down in my pelvis. She’s not going to wait until we get to hospital. I doubt she’s even going to wait for a damn engineer to show up. Remind me to fire whoever is responsible for this”.

 

The doors to the elevator snapped shut with a bang and crunch of metal as the trashcan gave up it’s fight to keep the doors open.

 

“Fuck!” Jared cursed.

 

“Now what?” Jensen asked as he looked to the other man in support. Another pain was starting to build which made him moan loudly and make him hunch forward.

 

“I’ve got a team of firemen and some of the guys on the case. They’re going to get a hydraulic ram to wedge the doors open with and we’re going to get you out of here and to the hospital in the ambulance. You’ve just got to hold on a little bit longer, think about something else. Er, how about names? I mean, we haven’t really had a chance to discuss names yet!” Jared said poignantly as he tried for distraction techniques.

 

“I have. I have a name for one of the girls. I want you to choose one for the other one” the older man said through strained and interrupted breaths.

 

Jared put an arm around his boss and held him closer. “Yeah? Wanna share?”. He was surprised that it had never been brought up before.

 

Jensen shook his head and smiled. “Nuh uh. Don’t wanna jinx anything. I just want them out safely first. It's not meant to happen like this. Oh God, another contraction. I’ll be having words with this little one once she’s older about her impeccable tim-ING! Ahead of schedule”.

 

“Ssh, breathe, just breathe. Don’t fight it or tense up, just go with the flow. Nice and slow, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Remember that lamaze class and how you controlled your breathing then? I've got you, just relax and get it under control. Squeeze my hand as much as you like. I think I’ve bust my ankle, so go for it, it might dull the pain!” Jared joked. His ankle was throbbing and pulsing with pain.

 

The pregnant man screamed as he battled the latest bought of pain and laughed at his assistant’s words. He was struggling to control his breathing like had had learned in the lamaze class. “Your-ankle?”.

 

“It’s fine, serves me right for jumping into an elevator shaft! It sounded better in my head, thought it would be kinda romantic being the hero” Jared winced as the other man took him up on his offer and painfully compressed his hand like his life depended on it. His ears pricked up at the sound of commotion above them and the distinct sound of something mechanical whirring into life. “I think they’re coming for us, just hold on a little longer”.

 

Jensen moaned softly as he leant his head on the other man’s shoulder for support. He was finally getting his breathing under control. “Mmmm. Believe me I’m dreaming of a nice comfortable bed, soft pillows, and lots of nice drugs for the pain. And my playlist, my jazz CD. I wanted that playing in the background”.

 

Jared patted his pants pocket and located his cell phone. He pressed a few buttons and Jensen's playlist starting to play out.

 

“You-put-it-on-your-phone?” Jensen huffed and puffed out as tears breached his eyes. “Thank you”.

 

Jared embraced his fiance. “Of course I did. I didn't think it would come in handy like this though!”.

 

“I love you. Oh, ow, another one.....” the labouring man sobbed. “She's really not waiting for anybody!”.

 

The doors above them moved open effortlessly as the hydraulic ram slid them open.

 

“Okay! We’re going to get a ladder down to you. Just stay where you are!” a voice shouted through the commotion.

 

The next thing they knew, a ladder was being hoisted down carefully and secured at the top. One of the firemen started his descent down into the elevator. “The doors are holding firm. Let’s get you out”.

 

Jared got to his feet and winced at the burning pain in his ankle. He brushed it off and held out his arms to the other man. “Come on, it’s just a few steps and we’ll get you up. I’ll help you up”.

 

Jensen scoffed and laughed. “Yeah, no worries I’ll just hop on up there. Never mind the fact that I’m trying to push a baby out right now….”.

 

“Woah, push? No, not yet! You can't, it's too dangerous. Let’s get you up and out first” Jared said as he got back down on the floor and knelt by his fiance. “You can’t push, come on”.

 

“I can’t-move! I’m pushing-whether-I-want-to-or-not!” Jensen hollered back through gritted teeth as he went with what his body was telling him to do and pushed experimentally and felt the head start to breach his birth canal. “I’m having her here-NOW!”. He felt with his hands just to make sure that she was coming out head first. “She's coming.....”.

 


	48. Chapter 48

 

 

The fireman and Jared exchanged worried looks.

 

“The EMT’s are here, I’ll get them down here!” the fireman said as he clambered back up the ladder.

 

Jared sat down and ran his hands over his fiance’s forehead and through his hair before giving him a kiss. He was petrified but he had to put his own feelings to one side and try his best to comfort him and help him through this.

 

Two EMT’s appeared along with some medical equipment and a stretcher that had been hoisted down.

 

“Take this, it’s gas and air, it should take the edge off the pain. Inhale deeply on this when you feel a contraction. I’m going to have to examine you sir. We’ll need to get those pants off though” the EMT said gently as he handed over the mouthpiece. He smiled sympathetically when he saw Jensen’s embarrassment. “Don’t worry, we’re going to keep you covered up, I've got a blanket here”.

 

“Lift your hips up” Jared said as he helped peel the wet pants off his fiance.

 

Jensen inhaled sharply on the mouthpiece and felt instantly woozy. He felt some pushing and discomfort from down below and looked away.

 

“Baby’s head is crowning. We definitely can’t move you right now. We need to get this baby out first” the second EMT said.

 

Jared looked worried. “It's definitely a head right? Baby is right way up?”.

 

The EMT nodded. “Definitely a head”.

 

“Okay, but what about the second twin? She's breech. We're booked for a C-Section, this shouldn't be happening” Jared asked as he kept up the stroking on his fiance’s head.

 

“Sometimes there’s a while between the two. Could be twenty minutes, could be an hour or so. We’ll need to move quickly just in case” the female EMT said.

 

“Can-I-push?” Jensen shouted out as he drew breaths from the gas and air.

 

The male EMT nodded his head whilst his female partner put on some gloves. “Go for it, big, long pushes, the head is coming out nicely”.

 

Jared made soothing noises. “You can do this Jensen. Come on, she’s nearly here”.

 

“Nnnnggghhh….you-make-it-sound-so-easy!” the labouring man screamed out between breaths. “Gotta-do-it-twice!”.

 

“I know. And you’re doing so amazing, so, so good. We'll get her out and then we'll get you to the hospital and Dr Lane can deliver her sister” the assistant said calmly. He took a peek at what was happening and gasped with utter amazement. “Oh my God, I can see her head. I can see wisps of blonde hair”.

 

Jensen laughed through the pain. “Really?”. Grunting, he pushed harder and felt the head slip out which gave him momentary relief.

 

The female EMT guided the head out and suctioned out the baby’s mouth. “Okay, the rest is going to be easy, I promise, you’ve done the hardest bit. Just a couple of big pushes and she’ll slip right out”.

 

“This is insane, it doesn’t feel real” Jared said still in awe at watching his first daughter being born.

 

“Feels-real!” Jensen panted as he sucked in more lungfuls of air. It was making him feel light headed, but it was dulling the pain a little bit. He tuned into what his body was feeling and doing and gave a couple of big pushes until he felt relief as he brought his baby into the world. “Ah! Is she, okay?” he asked as he tried to sit up and take a peek.

 

“Oh Jensen, she’s so pretty, so beautiful. She’s tiny!” Jared sobbed, unable to control the sudden flow of tears.

 

The EMT’s were cleaning her up and rubbing at her to get her to start crying.

 

“She’s not making any noise! Why isn’t she crying?” the executive asked, panic and fear rising. “She should be crying, right?”. He put his hand over his still pregnant tummy. He felt the other baby kick low down which meant that she hadn’t turned yet and was still breech. Their worst fears were confirmed.

 

“She’s okay, just a little shocked at coming so quick. She hasn’t realised that she’s been born yet” the male EMT said. The baby started to emit a high shrill. “There we go”.

 

Jensen reached out his arms to receive his new born daughter. “Let me see her. I need to see my baby”.

 

The EMT handed over the newborn baby to her father.

 

The executive took his baby into his arms and smiled as he brushed a finger over the delicate features of her face. “She’s so, so tiny. She’s beautiful…look what we did!”.

 

Jared kissed his fiance and beamed back. “You did most of the work” he said marvelling at his first born daughter.

 

“Ah!” the pregnant man moaned as he rubbed at his tummy again. He passed the baby to Jared who looked on nervously.

 

“Contraction?” the younger man asked worriedly. “So soon? Oh God”.

 

One of the EMT’s held out his hands to the pregnant man. “May I?”. When his patient nodded his permission, he started to press on his tummy and to feel what was going on. “You’re delivering the placenta right now. But the second baby is breech and the contractions will probably speed up the delivery. We don’t want to be trying to deliver a breech baby in this environment. We need to get you to the hospital as soon as possible, okay?”.

 

Jensen just nodded his head as he wrapped his arms around himself and tugged up the blanket to cover himself up. He was going to at least give himself some modesty in between the births. He reached out a hand and let his daughter grab it and hold it tight. He smiled at Jared.

 

“It’s okay, we’ll get you out. She’ll be just fine” Jared said as he rocked the baby in his arms and turned his attention to her. “We’ll meet your sister soon and she’s going to be just as gorgeous as you”.

 

There was some commotion from above for a few minutes as another ladder was lowered, and the stretcher was secured with an assortment of pulleys and ropes.

 

The female EMT looked at Jensen. “We need to move. Can you wriggle onto this stretcher for me hon and we’ll strap you in and we’re going to pull you using a pulley and the ladder”. When she saw the apprehension on the executives face she smiled reassuringly. “Believe me, this isn’t the first time we’ve done this. And if we drop you, they’ll be way too much paperwork for us to fill in and too many questions to answer so we're going to avoid that at all costs. We’ve got these pulleys locked down so there’s no way you can fall”.

 

Jensen managed to scoot across onto the stretcher and he fussed around with the blankets again to make sure that he was completely covered. Despite just giving birth to one of his daughters, his stomach didn’t look any different right now, it was still just as bloated and pregnant as before. Before he knew it, he was strapped in and rigged up to the pulley system. He watched Jared holding their daughter as he was pulled up along the ladder until he reached the gap in the elevator and into the open corridor where several fireman and virtually all his employees were looking on.

 

Jared, despite the pain in his ankle, had somehow managed to clamber up the ladder towards his fiance.

 

“Where’s my baby? The executive asked in a panic. “Where is she?”.

 

“It’s okay, she’s on her way up” Jared reassured as he tried to calm down his husband-to-be.

 

“Make sure they don’t drop her! She’s so tiny!” Jensen whined. “Oh crap, another contraction. I thought we'd have more time than this”.

 

The first EMT appeared from the elevator shaft holding the newborn and he passed it up to one of the fireman.

 

Jared swooped in and took the baby and then placed her in Jensen’s arms as the EMT helped his female colleague up the ladder.

 

Brad, Tom and Mike looked on at their boss as were Lois and some of the other girls. They started to gather around closer to Jared and Jensen and catch a glimpse of the baby.

 

“Back off everyone, give us some room. We need to get to the hospital pronto” the male EMT shouted. He then addressed some of the firemen. “I think we’re going to need a hand with the stretcher here guys, I take it the elevator is still out so we’ll need to take the stairs”.

 

The firemen sprang into action and Jensen was hoisted up the air. He clutched his daughter and nestled her into his arms tightly as she yawned and closed her eyes. To try and hide his embarrassment at the current predicament he was in, he focused on his baby and concentrated on holding her as tight as he could.

 

The crowd of people were all shouting out various messages of ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Good Luck’.

 

Jared followed behind his fiance and daughter, limping down the eight flights of stairs, wincing at each step he went down and jolting his ankle as he went, mentally registering each floor level number they passed until they reached the foyer and the entrance to the building. He knew that his agony was probably insignificant and un-comparable to his fiance's.

 

Jensen was bundled into the ambulance as another contraction hit. As soon as he saw his fiance, he palmed his baby off to him. “Take her, ow! Ow, ow, ow!”.

 

The male EMT jumped into the front of the ambulance whilst his colleague piled into the back and strapped Jensen, Jared and the baby down. She passed the gas and air over to the labouring man just as they started moving, lights and sirens blaring.

 

“She’s coming, really fast too. I think I’m going to need to push again soon!” Jensen panted as the intensity kicked up a notch.

 

“Whatever you do, don’t push sweetie. Do you have the number of your OB/GYN? We’ll give them the heads up and tell them to prep an OR”.

 

Jared held the baby with one arm and held out his hand to his fiance. He signaled to his jacket pocket and the EMT pulled out the contact details. “Just hold on Jensen, you can do this. Just hold on, don’t push. Cross your legs or something, try and hold her in!”.

 

Jensen shook his head as his face grimaced with the pain. If Jared wasn’t holding such a precious bundle in his arms he would take a swing at him with the canister of gas and air. “Seriously?!”.

 

“No, sorry, I mean, just breathe and just don't push. We’ll get there, Dr Lane will help us out. See? The EMT has got the team all waiting for you, they can get you into the OR and get her out nice and safe in no time at all just like we planned. Just keep breathing” Jared said.

 

“Ha? Keep-breathing? What-the-hell-else-am-I-going-to-do? Stop? Have no-choice-I-need-to-push!” Jensen panted and grunted as he tried to fight against the urge to do what his body was forcing him to do.

 

The EMT looked out the window and the blurring scenery after she came off the phone to the hospital. “Nearly there Jensen. We’re about 4 minutes away and Dr Lane is prepping the OR ready for you. She thinks that’s the safest thing to do”.

 

“O-kay. Ah!” the labouring man shouted as he felt the baby move down lower into his pelvis making the urge to push almost unbearable and knowing that he couldn’t was making the situation impossible. “Jared? If anything…..happens……save her, okay?”.

 

Jared shook his head as he squeezed his fiance’s hand. “No, nothing is going to happen to you, or her. Don’t be silly!”.

 

The ambulance almost skidded to a halt outside the hospital and Dr Lane and a team of other staff met them. Someone took the baby and put her in an incubator and whisked her off somewhere much to Jensen’s dismay.

 

“We just need to check her over. Besides, we need to get you sorted Jensen” Dr Lane said amidst the hustle and bustle. “They couldn't quite make it another two days, then, eh?”.

 

They all piled into an elevator much to everyone’s apprehension. Luckily this one worked just fine and it pinged as they reached the floor to the OR. Jared hadn’t let go of Jensen’s hand, not even for a second.

 

Dr Lane put her hand on Jared’s shoulder and looked serious.

 

Jared knew what was coming and shook his head ferociously. “No, I’m not leaving him! Please, I need to be in there”.

 

“I know, but you need to get changed, Alice here will show you where to go and bring you through in a few minutes, okay?” the physician said.

 

Jensen was wheeled through and moved onto an operating table and had an assortment of drapes cover him.

 

Dr Lane appeared in a robe and gloves and looked far too clinical for the executives liking. “Okay, I need to feel, see what position the baby is lying in”.

 

“Go for it, everyone else has prodded me today and seen everything” the pregnant man said as he winced at another contraction and fought the urge to push, his whole body almost trembling with the urge to hold back.

 

Jared appeared wearing scrubs and a scrub hat. “I’m here”. He limped towards his fiance. The situation with his fiance had dulled the pain in his ankle, presumably adrenaline kicking him.

 

Jensen tried to laugh through the pain at his fiance’s attire. “I feel left out of this party. If I’d have known, I’d have worn something else”.

 

“Okay, Jensen” Dr Lane said as she prodded hard. She apologised when her patient let out a moan. “I’m going to try and turn her around the other way. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s going to hurt like hell….”.

 

“I don’t care about me, just do it! Get her out safe” Jensen said.

 

“What if you can’t?” Jared asked, as he looked on worriedly.

 

“Then we’re ready to go with the C-section. Just give me a moment. I’ve just got to get my hands around her like this and try to turn her….” the physician said.

 

The pain was even more unbearable than the contractions itself and had Jensen screaming out in pain.

 

Jared’s heart was breaking from watching the man he loved being in so much pain.

 

There were swarms of people in and out of the OR, all on standby to step up into action if they needed to.

 

A nurse appeared and looked between the two men. “We’ve checked over your daughter and she’s perfect. Quite a size too for a twin, 6 pounds 2 ounces. She’s just getting all cleaned up and she’ll be in the nursery”.

 

“Thank you” Jared said sincerely.

 

Jensen smiled and felt relief for a moment at the good news about his baby. He now had to concentrate on getting the second one out safe and sound.

 

Dr Lane cursed. “Damn it! She doesn’t want to turn”.

 

“Oh God. I really-really-need to-have to push!” Jensen shouted out. “I can't stop it”.

 

“We’re going to have to proceed with a C-section. Can we prep please?” Dr Lane said as she shouted out orders. The OR started to buzz with people running around. “Let me just check. Oh double crap”.

 

“What is it, what’s happening?” Jared asked for the two of them as Jensen was too busy trying to deal with a nasty contraction.

 

“The baby is too far down the birth canal. The safest thing now is to deliver her as she is. And that means getting her out fast. Jensen? I know you’re so tired, but you’re going to need to push really, really hard, and then stop when I tell you to. I need you on board” Dr Lane said sternly but kindly. “This is the safest way right now, okay? I'm sorry”.

 

Jensen nodded his head, tears in his eyes and his face painted with fear. “Let’s go. Can I please, please push now?”. He grabbed onto Jared’s hand for comfort and support.

 

The physician adjusted the position of her hands. “Yes please, as hard as you can and for as long as you can”.

 

The executive bore down and pushed all he could. He was exhausted after having already given birth but his daughter’s life depended on it. He couldn't hold back anymore if he tried. Pushing was actually almost a welcomed relief. After taking a breather for a few moments he pushed again and again until he felt something come out.

 

Jared looked on anxiously. “A foot!”.

 

“That’s good. Another couple of those, we need to get the other foot out before she gets all tangled up” Dr Lane urged.

 

“You can do this Jensen, I know you can. Come on, you’re Mr Ackles! You can do anything” the young assistant rallied.

 

“I’m so tired. I just want to sleep, need to rest….” Jensen moaned. Sweat was running down his face and his usual coifed hair was sticking in all different directions. “I can't. There must be another way!”.

 

There was a monitor attached to Jensen, beeping as the baby’s heart beat and it was slowing down dramatically by the second.

 

Dr Lane read the chart on the machine. “Jensen? There is no other way!The baby’s in distress, she doesn’t appreciate being upside down like this and I think the cord is wrapped around her neck depriving her of oxygen so I need two good pushes from you right now to free her legs”.

 

“Come on, I’ve got you Jensen. Squeeze down on my hand, hell if you break a bone I don’t care, just push!” Jared said. “Get angry, whatever you need to do, just push damn hard, okay?”.

 

Jensen gathered up some energy from somewhere and gave two big pushes and felt the baby start to slide out a bit more. He was about to give another push when Dr Lane shouted out for him to stop.

 

“No! Wait!” the physician said as she carefully slid a finger around the cord and pushed it off from around the baby’s neck. “Okay, the cord is free, one more, just one more and that should do it”.

 

“Aaaahhhh” Jensen screamed as he pushed one last time and delivered his second daughter.

 

Jared burst into tears again. “She’s a girl too like we thought. Oh God and she’s just as beautiful Jensen, she looks like you, so much like you”.

 

The executive managed to lift up his weary head to glance at his daughter. He let the tears flow down his face freely when she was placed on his lap. “Is she okay?”.

 

Dr Lane smiled and nodded her head. “Yeah, she’s pinked up nicely after her rather traumatic birth, coming out the wrong way, but you did so well, well done. I just need to deliver the placenta and check you out then we’ll get you all settled in somewhere more comfortable and get your other baby in to see you”.

 

Jensen inhaled and exhaled deeply to get his breath back. “We did it”. He started to cry.

 

Jared looked down at his other daughter and began to cry too. “No, you did it and I’m so proud of you. So, are you going to let me into the secret now what you want to call them”.

 

Wincing at a cramp, the older man smiled. “I have a name. And I think it’s apt for this one right here, putting up a fight, being so strong and hanging on in there. I want to name her after my grandmother”.

 

“Imelda?” Jared checked.

 

“No. Sophia. Sophia is her middle name. I want to name her Sophia. I want you to name her sister. If-if that’s okay?” Jensen groaned. “Something really hurts, is everything okay?”.

 

Dr Lane smiled. “Yes, it’s just the placenta that’s all. There’s a little blood, but that’s okay, you've just delivered a breech baby”.

 

Jared looked down and put his hand on his daughter’s tummy. “Sophia. I think it’s beautiful. And I have an idea for a name for her sister, I just, want to see her first properly to see if it suits her”.

 

Jensen smiled. “Can we see her yet?” he asked. Suddenly he felt a gush of something rush out of him. It was warm and sticky. “Oh crap…..what just….”. He felt light headed, like he was about to pass out. His eyes then rolled back in his head and then snapped closed as his arms dropped down to his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger (again!). Update soon :-)


	49. Chapter 49

 

Blood was rushing out from Jensen like a red river and dripping down onto the floor. Jared felt sick at the sight. “Jensen? What’s happening? Doctor?”. Suddenly he was being ushered out of the room.

 

“He’s haemorrhaging, I need to stop it right now before he bleeds out. I need to put him under. If I need to, I may need to do a hysterectomy. Do you consent?” Dr Lane asked the shocked man.

 

The young assistant clutched his daughter. He could see more blood pour out and couldn’t think straight let alone make a decision. “Uh, I……”.

 

Dr Lane put an arm on Jared’s arm and looked at him. “Focus, I need you to make a decision. He's put you down on his form for next of kin and therefore you now have to make a medical decision”.

 

Jared wiped his tears and nodded his head. “Just, just do what you need to do to save his life”.

 

One of the nurses took him by his arm and ushered him into the corridor. “Do you want to see your other daughter? She’s beautiful. We’ll get this little one all cleaned up and dressed too and then they’ll be all ready to see their daddy. He’ll be just fine”.

 

Sniffing as he wiped away more tears, Jared looked down at the baby. “Okay Sophia. Let's get you reunited with your sister”.

 

 

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Jared was torn between watching the clock and marvelling over his newborn daughters. They were both equally as beautiful. Sophia was the image of Jensen, full luscious lips and blonde wispy hair with big eyes. Her sister looked a bit more like him, slightly darker hair and darker eyes. It didn’t feel right, sitting here fawning over his new babies feeling joy without Jensen. He studied baby number 1 and smiled. “I know what I want to call you, but I want to wait until your daddy is better first. He’ll be okay, he’ll be here soon”. He had one hand on each of the babies who were both sleeping. As he glanced up at the clock on the wall above him for the hundredth time, the door opened and Dr Lane walked in looking exhausted.

 

“Jared” Dr Lane started to say.

 

“Oh God, just, just tell me. Please” Jared said as he studied the physician's body language for any clues.

 

Dr Lane sighed. “He’s made it through. He lost a massive amount of blood and I struggled to stop the bleeding for a long time and we nearly lost him a couple of times. I was about to do the hysterectomy, but the bleeding stopped. He’s been given several blood transfusions. He’s still quite poorly, I’m not going to lie. The bleeding may start back up again, but he’s stable for now”.

 

“Can I see him?” Jared spoke quietly.

 

“He’s heavily sedated right now, but you can see him for a little bit, then he’ll need his rest. Take the girls in with you, he’ll be asking for them otherwise and I need him to stay calm, I need his blood pressure stable” the physician said. “I’ll take you to see him now if you like”.

 

“Absolutely!”. Jared picked Sophia up and put her in the same crib as her sister and wheeled them along the corridor after the doctor, until they entered a small room off the end of the corridor. It was then he was reminded at how painful his ankle was and was now throbbing and swollen.

 

The physician opened up the door and Jared walked in nervously and tentatively. She busied herself and checked her patient’s vitals and adjusted the dial on one of the drips and uttered some instructions to one of the nurses. “10 minutes, okay?”

 

Jensen looked deathly pale. He had been changed into a hospital gown and looked somewhat peaceful. Jared put his hand on his fiance’s hand and pulled it onto his. “Well, I think that it’s fair to say you’ve had quite an eventful day. I've thought of a name. I think it suits her, but I want your approval. They are so beautiful and perfect. You really need you to open your eyes and get better because our girls have been given the all clear. Trust you to want to add even more drama to the day, did you not get enough earlier?”.

 

The executive’s eyes fluttered open and focussed on his assistant. “Stop blabbering will you and tell me what name you‘ve decided. Get to the point”. His voice was weak and groggy and his mouth was as dry as a bone from the tube and anaesthetic but there was a slight smirk on his face.

 

Jared smiled and pressed a kiss to the other man’s forehead. “I’ve brought the babies in to see you”. He got up and went over to the crib and scooped the two babies up into his arms. “Okay, so, you've met Sophia, now meet her sister Eva Lilly weighing in slightly bigger at 6 pounds 5 ounces. No wonder you were so big” he joked.

 

Jensen laughed weakly. “Hey!”. The executive then smiled. “Eva Lilly. It's perfect. It's beautiful, like them. Welcome to the world Sophia Grace and Eva Lilly Ackles-Padalecki. I want us to get married as soon as possible without delay. I don't need anything big or fancy or elaborate. I just want you to be my husband” Jensen said, his voice weak.

 

“Woah, one thing at a time, okay? I love their names” Jared said as he leant over and gently planted a kiss on his fiance's cheek.

 

“Can I see them properly?” Jensen asked as he lifted a hand up weakly and pointed to them.

 

Jared scooped up the babies again and carefully laid them on the bed so that the other man could see them.

 

Jensen's face lit up with emotion and happiness as he looked between his two daughter’s who were gazing up their other father, bright inquisitive eyes, full luscious lips and mops of hair. They were perfect. “Eva looks like you. Her hair is darker and curly like yours”.

 

“And Sophia is a mini you. Look at those gorgeous lips. Damn, we're going to have our work cut out with these two when they're older, trying to fight off the men” Jared said jokingly.

 

“Ha, no way in hell. They are not having boyfriends until they are at least 30! Forget it” the older man joked back. He sighed as he looked down at his babies again. “I'm so glad you got me drunk and we had sex the night of the Christmas party!”.

 

“Me getting you drunk? I think that you were already drunk Mr Ackles. Besides, you cornered me, remember?” Jared laughed.

 

Jensen shook his head. “Who cares, I think it would have happened anyway. I don't have any regrets. We make beautiful babies as it turns out! Have you rang your parents yet?”.

 

Jared patted his pants pocket to locate his phone. “Not yet. I wanted to make sure-I needed to make sure that you were okay first. I was so scared when I saw all of that blood. Never, ever do that to me again, okay?”.

 

“I'm fine, all 3 of us. You saved our lives, literally” Jensen stated.

 

“No, Dr Lane did that” Jared corrected.

 

“Yes I know, but if you hadn't have hijacked a team of firemen and then fearlessly leapt into an elevator to try and get me out then I would have ended up giving birth to both babies in the elevator and we never would have made it to the hospital. I think me and Sophia would have both died. So, you saved our lives, you got us out” the older man said sincerely. “I'd probably still be in that damn elevator if it wasn't for you. I know it's my fault that I was in there in the first place.....”.

 

“Sshh, it's fine. You need to rest now, okay? Dr Lane has only given me 10 minutes with you. She wants you to rest for a few hours” Jared said as he took the babies and put them back in the crib. He winced when he was too heavy footed on his ankle.

 

“Go and give your parents a ring. Tell them they can come and visit whenever they want. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see their grand-daughters. I forgot, how's your ankle? You should really go and get it checked out properly in the ER” Jensen pointed out.

 

Jared laughed. “It's fine. Honestly” he said unconvincingly. He took a few more steps, limping as he went. “I guess it won't do any harm in getting it checked out”.

 

“Sit down will you?” the executive said as he pressed the nurse call button.

When one of the nurses appeared and asked it he was okay, he signalled towards his fiance. “I think he needs to get his ankle checked. He jumped about 10 feet and landed on his ankle”.

 

The nurse smiled sweetly. “No worries, I'll get someone up to take you down the the ER to get you checked. We'll take you down in a wheelchair, stay put”.

 

Jared mouthed a 'love you' to his fiance before he got wheeled off downstairs.

 

Dr Lane came in to check on her patient. “I heard about Jared's heroics, he got you here just in time”. She looked at the sleeping babies in the crib. They are gorgeous, it's always my favourite part of the job. They both have a clean bill of health, no sign of any breathing problems and they are both a very good weight indeed. You did well carrying them pretty much to term for twins”.

 

“I know I haven't been the best patient in the world, I know that, so thank you for everything you've done for me, for us” the new father said gratefully.

 

The physician nodded. “You were-challenging at times, yes, but you've loved these babies from day one, that was always clear. You've just had surgery and lost quite a bit of blood, so you need to rest. We'll take the girls into the nursery so you can get some sleep. Hopefully the medication I gave you will help you to doze off. Your vitals are stable, but you need rest”.

 

Jensen still felt woozy so he wouldn't have much choice in the matter. “Okay. Will you bring them back in later? I don't really want to be apart from them”.

 

“2 hours rest, wait for the rest of the blood transfusion to go through and they're all yours” Dr Lane negotiated.

 

Nodding his head, the executive gave in to the effects of the medication and let sleep take him.

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Jensen opened his eyes and saw his fiance sitting down on one of the chairs next to him. It took him a moment to realise where he was. He spotted the crutches and the boot on his ankle. “What's the verdict then?”.

 

“Hairline crack in one of the bones on the outside of my ankle. Got to keep the boot on for 2 weeks, rest it when I can to keep the swelling down and then it should heal just fine. I'm sorry, I should be able to run around after you and the girls. Instead I'm half crippled” Jared joked.

 

“No, I'm sorry. I guess I'm partly to blame for you busting up your ankle” the executive said remorsely.

 

“I'd do it again in a heartbeat!”. The younger man got to his feet and hobbled over to his fiance as the door opened and a nurse wheeled in the crib.

 

“They're ready for their feed. I figured that you'd both want to give it to them. I've made the bottles up for you” the nurse said.

 

Jensen nodded as he sat himself up in bed. “Absolutely”.

 

Jared handed Sophia over to his fiance and he took Eva into his own arms. The nurse handed each man a bottle of formula and showed them how to feed the babies and then left them both to it.

 

“This girl is going to town on this milk!” Jensen marvelled. “She looks too tiny to be guzzling this all down”. He couldn't take his eyes off his baby.

 

“Yeah, Eva too. They must has gotten their appetite from you when you were pregnant with them”. Jared studied his daughter’s face as she fed.

 

Jensen looked down at his stomach, although smaller, was still round and bloated. “I guess I'm going to have to go easy on my calorie intake now, watch what I eat again. At least I'm 12 and a half pounds lighter than I was this morning, right? Only another 30 to go!”

 

“Once you're up and about and back in work, you'll burn it all off, not to worry” the younger man said practically.

 

“Work......oh yeah. I don't know if I'm going to be able to leave them for even a minute. I'm serious about bringing them to work with me every day. I'll get a nanny but they need to be with me, close by where I can keep an eye on them. I've carried them both inside me for nearly 9 months, had them around me 24/7 and I don't want to be apart from them” the new father admitted.

 

“Okay, I understand. We'll get a nursery sorted out next door to your office if you like. That can be arranged, you're the boss, you can make anything happen”. Jared lifted Eva up and put her on his shoulder. She looked even smaller in comparison to his large form. “Do you want to swap?”.

 

Jensen smiled as he looked up from Sophia and towards his other daughter. “Yeah, I wanna swap”.

 

After spending quality time together as a family of four, the nurses informed Jared that he would have to go home for the night.

 

“I'll get your hospital bag and bring it in with me in the morning, okay? Don't worry about me, I'll get a cab home and Chloe can give me a hand with the bags and bring me back in tomorrow morning. Just try and get a good night's sleep, okay? I'll see you soon. I love you” the younger man said as he kissed his fiance on the lips and then took hold of his crutches and hobbled out of the door.

 

The nurses had offered to take the babies into the nursery for the night so that he could sleep properly, but Jensen had declined their offer and wanted to keep his daughter’s in with him. He was told that whilst the babies slept, he should try and sleep to, so he closed his eyes once again and went to sleep.

 

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The next morning, Jensen was just finishing off his breakfast when there was a knock on the door and Jared walked in. It was strange not having to check his blood sugar before a meal. “Morning. How's your ankle?”.

 

Jared was still trying to get used to crutches. “Not too bad. Less painful than yesterday”. He went over to the crib and marvelled at his daughters. “How did you sleep? You look tired, did you have them in with you all night?”.

 

“Yes, I wanted them with me. Even though they both woke up several times during the night for a feed, it was actually the best night's sleep I've had in a while. It was so nice being able to sleep not only on my back again, but on my side. The nurses came in to help me when they woke otherwise I wouldn't have slept at all. I'm glad you're here though, I need you to watch them for me whilst I have a shower. I stink!” the executive admitted. “Did you bring my hospital bag?”.

 

“Yeah, it's outside. Chloe and Jimmy helped me get some stuff together and they gave me a lift in. They're waiting outside the door, I wasn't sure whether you were ready for visitor's just yet so I thought that I'd better come in alone first, make sure you were decent”. Jared said thoughtfully.

 

Jensen scoffed. “I've just given birth, I've been poked and examined by everyone and I'm sure half the hospital has seen my bits, my dignity is pretty much gone. I think I'm rocking the hospital gown chic with a hint of baby puke, and sweat laced hair right?”.

 

Jared laughed. He studied his fiance and honestly, he couldn't look more beautiful than he did right now. “You look fine, more than fine. I can ask them to wait until you've showered if you like?”.

 

“I'm guessing that Chloe is chomping at the bit to see the girls, right?” the executive guessed. He pointed to the en-suite bathroom. “Go get my bag, I'll go and shower and put on some decent clothes and send them in. Just give me a 5 minute head start, okay?”.

 

“Can you manage? Do you need a hand with anything?” Jared asked.

 

Jensen winced as he got up from the bed. “I'm fine. Well, as fine as I can be after pushing out two babies. I'll manage, I'll just take my time. I don't want you slipping and breaking your other ankle”.

 

“Good point. I'll go get your bag, I'll bring it in in just a second” Jared said as he hobbled over to the door as his fiance walked slowly into the en-suite bathroom.

 

The executive appeared from the bathroom 15 minutes later, freshly showered, dressed and with clean teeth. Jared was sat on the bed with both babies nestled in his arms. “Where's Chloe and Jimmy?” he enquired.

 

“They've both gone to get coffee. I kind of gave them both the morning off sorry, to help me out. Don't be too mad” the younger man admitted.

 

Jensen was un-phased. “That's fine. I've got to stay in for a couple more days anyway”.

 

“You agreed to that?” Jared asked in exasperation.

 

Shrugging his shoulders, the older man did up a few more buttons on his shirt, surprised at how loose fitting it felt compared to last time he had worn it. “Dr Lane just wants to keep a close eye on me and the girls for a little longer given what we've been through. Plus the nurses will give us advice on feeding them and bathing them, so it's for the best”.

 

Jared laughed as he looked over at the door and saw a familiar face peeking in through the window. “Are you ready? Because I don't think that I'll be able to keep her away for any longer”.

 

“Send them in then” Jensen agreed.

 

Jared gestured to his best friend and husband to come in. He signalled to them that they needed to be quiet.

 

Chloe melted at the sight of the two girls in her best friend's arms. “Jeez Jared, how did you manage to make such beautiful babies!”.

 

Jensen laughed. “They obviously get their dashing good looks from me, right? Go and sit down on the chair over there. You can hold them both at the same time then. When the blonde was sat down, he carefully took one of the babies from Jared and handed her over to her, signalling that she needed to support her head. “This is Eva” he said. He took her sister from Jared and put her in her other arm. “And this is Sophia”.

 

Jimmy looked on at his wife and smiled knowingly. He went over to look at the new additions and gave his wife a kiss on the lips.

 

The executive could see the maternal look in the blonde's eyes. He guessed that Jimmy knew about the pregnancy.

 

“Wow Chlo, it kind of suits you!” Jared said, oblivious to the truth.

 

“I take a day off and I miss all the drama!” the blonde said. She gently rocked both babies.

 

Jared rolled his eyes. “Yeah, where were you yesterday anyway!”.

 

“I told you. I had an appointment that's all” Chloe said.

 

“Are you sick? Because you look a bit peaky that's all” Jared said as he got to his feet.

 

Chloe looked up at Jensen and he gave her a subtle nod and a smile. “Okay, I wanted to wait a little longer, I didn't want to steal your thunder....”.

 

Jensen nodded his head encouragingly again as if to reassure her.

 

Jared laughed. “Why would you steal my thunder. It's not like you're pregnant, right?”. When he saw the smile start to form on his best friend's face, his excitement grew by the second. “Wait, you're pregnant?”.

 

“Yeah. I'm having a baby Jay. We had the scan done yesterday. I'm nearly 8 weeks gone now. There's just the one in there though, definitely just the one, we made them check several times” Chloe said jokingly.

 

Jimmy looked just as excited. “Yeah, it's quite soon, but apparently we do things fast. We're ecstatic about it. It's still early days so we want to keep it under wraps for a little longer if that's okay”.

 

“Wow. My girl is really all grown up now too!” Jared said as he hugged his best friend and shook the photographer's hand.

 

Jensen tried to look surprised. “Congratulations”. He winked at the blonde.

 

Jared narrowed his eyes and looked at his fiance suspiciously but let it go for now. “You're going to make wonderful parents. You can learn from all my mistakes, right?”.

 

Chloe laughed. “You're going to be great too Jay” she said sincerely. “You better take your babies back before I run off with them”.

 

“No chance. I worked hard for these!” the executive joked as he took the girls and put them back down in the crib.

 

“As much as I'd like to fawn over these two beauties all day, I'd better get to work. Do you need me to do anything else for you today?” Chloe asked her best friend.

 

“No, I'm good thank you. Loretta will be in the house today, she's going to clean and get everything ready for us and see to the puppies. Just to warn you Jensen, she may have decorated the house from top to bottom in pink banners and balloons by the time you get out of here!”. Jared had told her the good news when he got home last night.

 

"I can live with that” the executive said.

 

Chloe paused before leaving the room. “Do you want me to say anything to everyone in work? What do you want me to tell them?”.

 

Jensen sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I don't like fuss, or announcements or anything like that. Just tell them everything, it will save me doing it when I get back. Tell them to keep up the good work and I'll probably be back in a few weeks”.

 

“Okay. Congratulations Jensen” the blonde said, as she smiled at her boss.

 

Jimmy followed his wife out the door.

 

“Wow. I can't believe Chloe is pregnant! That's amazing, isn't it?” Jared stated, looking at his boss for a sign of acknowledgement.

 

“Yes, it's great news. The girls will have a friend to play with” the older man said as he went through his hospital bag and put things away in one of the drawers.

 

“You didn't seem that surprised though. It's almost like you already knew” Jared said. When his fiance just looked down at the floor, the penny dropped. “You knew!”. He wasn't mad, he was just surprised.

 

Jensen sighed. He couldn't lie. “Yes, I knew. I've known for about a month. She confided in me before she even did a test and told Jimmy. I don't know why she told me, I guess because I was pregnant and she knew I'd been through the same thing. But she didn't want you to know until our babies were born. She didn't want you worrying unnecessarily about her too. Don't tell her that you know that I knew”.

 

“I'm not mad. It does explain why you and her have suddenly become best buddies. Well, thank you for supporting her or whatever you did. So, anyway, I wasn't sure what clothes you wanted for Eva and Sophia, so I brought in the pink dresses that we bought a few weeks ago and a few other things” Jared said as he pointed to the other bag on the floor.

 

“That sounds good. The nurse is going to come in shortly and get us to give them a bath. Once they're all nice and clean, we'll get them dressed up in their outfits”. The executive had one hand on each baby and smiled. He still couldn't believe that they were here and that they were his. Any fears that he had about not being a good father and not knowing what to do had dissipated in a heartbeat. “There's one more person that I want to call”.

 

Jared was to engrossed in watching his fiance's reaction to their daughter’s to hear him straight away. “Who?”.

 

Jensen located his cell phone and started to dial the number. “My sister”.

 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although essentially 'the end' there will be more chapters, little one shots with the time lines explained......and kinda a sequel too.....my fingers and mind just kind of ran away with themselves really :-)


	50. Chapter 50

 

~1 month later~

 

“Jensen? Sorry to disturb you but there's someone here to see you. He doesn't have an appointment but he says it's really important and that he won't take up too much of your time. He's downstairs in the lobby” Chloe said as she stood in the doorway to her boss' office.

 

Jensen was sat at his desk feeding Eva, whilst Sophia slept in the moses basket next to him. She had finished her bottle so he covered up his shirt with the muslin cloth and laid her on his shoulder to burp her. “What's his name?”.

 

“David. David Ackerman I think” the blonde responded.

 

The name was vaguely familiar to him. He was curious more than anything. “Fine, tell him he's got 5 minutes, send him up. Can you take Sophia back next door please?”.

 

Chloe nodded as she took the moses basket.

 

Eva was fussing around so Jensen gently bounced her up and down. He paused when he saw someone in the doorway. “David, right?”.

 

The man looked awkward and anxious. “Yes. You probably don't remember me but-”.

 

“I remember you” Jensen said. When his daughter started to cry, he reached out for the phone on his desk. “Excuse me for a second”. He dialled a number. “Jared? Can you come upstairs please? Thank you. Please, take a seat” he gestured to the empty chair, the other side of his desk.

 

Jared appeared in record time despite the healing hairline crack in his ankle. “Everything okay?”. He looked at the man with curiosity. There was something familiar about him.

 

“Sophia is sleeping next door in the moses basket. She's been fed. Eva has just finished her feed but she's getting a little bit fussy. If you just bounce her up and down a little bit and hum quietly she usual settles down” the executive said as he passed her over to her other father.

 

“It's okay. I know what to do Jensen” Jared said as he took his daughter. “Come on sweetie, let's get you down for a nap with your sister”. He shut the door on his way out.

 

Jensen stood silent for a moment, not knowing what to say to the man in front of him. He realised he still had the muslin cloth draped over his shoulder so he hastily removed it and checked his shirt for any sign of mess.

 

“Twins, right? How old?” the anxious man asked.

 

“They'll be a month old tomorrow. Anyway, what can I do for you?” Jensen asked as he remained standing. He felt more in control and in charge when he was stood up.

 

“I've been trying to track you down for a while now, but I guess you've been off on leave”.

 

“Yeah, I came back to work a few days ago. If this is about Jeff, then I'm really not interested”. Jensen felt sick at the mere thought of his name.

 

“No! Well, I mean it is. Look, I just wanted to say thank you, that's all. Thank you for warning me about him. You were right. He never had booked anything for our wedding. I checked my bank account too. It looks like he had started to pilfer money from it already. It was only a few grand at a time, nothing I don't miss, but you were right. Thank you”.

 

Jensen felt remorse for the man. He wished that someone had done the same for him- warned him before he had gotten in too deep. “I'm sorry the way I worded it though. It's not an excuse, but in my defence, I did give birth the next day so I guess my hormones had something to do with it. I wish I could have told you another way. But that douchebag has been a thorn in my side for a long while now and I was just pissed when I saw him. I didn't mean to take it out on you”.

 

“Well he's gone now. Ditched him the night I found out what a liar he had been and what a fool I had been to fall for it”.

 

“Yeah, well I fell for it too. He may be a douchebag but he's certainly got the charm. Do you know where he's gone now by any chance?” Jensen asked curiously.

 

“Well, seeing as he used my credit card to buy a one-way ticket to New York, I'm going to say he's in New York!”.

 

Jensen laughed. “That would be my guess too!”.

 

“I'm sorry, I've taken up enough of your time here, I know you're a very busy man so I'll let you get on”. David got to his feet and extended out a hand to the executive.

 

Shaking his hand, Jensen looked curious. “Ackerman. Why do I know your name?”.

 

“Ackerman enterprises. I run a few television networks. I believe we've crossed paths on a professional level a few times. So next time we do business, let me know and I'll cut you a good deal, my way of saying thank you”.

 

Jensen smiled. “That's very generous of you Mr Ackerman”.

 

“It's the least I can do Mr Ackles. Thank you. Have a nice day now”.

 

“You too sir” the executive replied as he sat down at his desk. He looked at the video feed from the nursery next door and watched his fiance cradle Eva and put her down for her nap next to her sister.

 

It was good to be back.

 

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Jensen was sat at his desk in his office replying to an important email. As he typed, he kept checking the video baby monitor on his desk. The twins were both still fast asleep next door. There was a knock on the door and Jared came in with his boss' coffee.

 

“Chloe's too busy throwing up right now. So I've made your coffee for you. Apparently the smell of it is too much for her. Hopefully she's at the tail end of her morning sickness” Jared said as he put the coffee down on the desk along with a fruit salad, seeing as Jensen was still trying to lose his baby weight.

 

Jensen winced in sympathy. “Yeah, I don't miss that part of being pregnant at all, I can tell you that now”. He yawned and rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. The twins were both on the same feeding schedule during the night- 3 hourly feeds. The sleep deprivation was catching up with him. He and Jared both took it in turns to tend to them but it was still hard work.

 

Jared could see his boss looking up at the baby monitor. “I've just checked on them, they are both sleeping. When did they last have their feed?”.

 

Looking at his watch, the executive then looked down at a chart on his desk. “An hour ago. Eva took 2.5 ounces of milk and Sophia took 2.7”.

 

The younger man was almost afraid to bring up the subject again, but it was getting silly now. If Jensen carried on like this then he would burn out. “Jensen? You've been back in work for a week now. There's a lot to catch up on and that's hard enough. Plus you're doing the night feeds and the day feeds. We really need to find a nanny!”.

 

“We haven't found anyone good enough yet Jared, you know that! I'm not having just anyone looking after our babies. I nearly died giving birth to them, so I'm sorry that I'm being over protective here!” Jensen said.

 

“I still don't see what was wrong with Pam. She was a qualified, state registered nanny, with a degree in childhood studies and qualified in paediatric first aid. Plus, she's raised 5 children who have now all grown up!” Jared said trying to reason with his fiance. “You could at least have given her a trial run. Look, I know that you want to do this all yourself, I understand that, but having a nanny to help us out a little during the day is not going to make you a bad father, or make you a failure in any way. It means that you can enjoy them a little more because you won't be so tired”.

 

Jensen sighed in resignation. He knew that his fiance was right. “Fine. Get me her number and I'll give her a week's trial, see how things go. But I'm keeping them here, okay?”.

 

Jared nodded his understanding. One of the babies started to cry over the monitor. “I'll go! It's probably diaper change time. You've got a meeting in a little while. I think they're already here. But you might want to change your tie first”.

 

Looking down at his tie, Jensen pulled a face. “Spit up” he laughed. “It's a glamorous job, right?”.

 

As Jared left the office, he passed Chloe in the doorway looking a little green around the gills. “How you holding up?”.

 

“Peachy” the blonde said as she clutched a pile of folders in her hands.

 

“I'll see you later. I've been summoned by our little angels!” Jared said as he went next door.

 

Jensen removed his tie as he addressed his assistant. “Are they for me to sign?”.

 

Chloe put the folders down on the desk and looked at the cup of coffee disgustedly. “Yeah. There's no hurry on them at all”. She swallowed back a wave of nausea.

 

The executive opened up one of his drawers and dug deep until he found what he was looking for. “Here. Try this. It's tastes like crap, but it should take the edge off the nausea. It's ginger tea. Try putting honey in too, that should keep your blood sugar levels from dropping too much”.

 

“Thank you Jensen. I'm going to go now. The coffee- the smell-sorry” the pregnant woman retched.

 

“If you need to go home Chloe, just go. Don't worry about it. I think everyone knows your pregnant now anyway. Go home and rest if you need to” the executive said kindly.

 

Chloe managed a weak smile. “Thank you for being so supportive”. She nodded her thanks as she left her boss to it.

 

Jensen couldn't find a spare tie and made a mental note to bring spares with him tomorrow. He loosened the top button of his shirt. He grabbed his mug of coffee and inhaled deeply before taking a sip. He had missed it and right now, he was relying on the caffeine to get him through the day.

 

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Jensen had reluctantly agreed to give Pam a try and he had to admit that she was an absolute gem so he had decided that after just a couple of days, he would hire her on a permanent basis. It made everything so much easier for him and he was able to concentrate more on his work rather than be on high alert for any signs or sounds that the babies needed him. As the days went on, he was able to relax a little more as he knew that his babies were in safe hands. He had the best of both worlds, because whenever he needed a fix, he would just go next door to where he had set up a nursery for them and go and see them.

 

The nanny knocked on the door and waited for an answer before she opened it.

 

“Is everything okay?” the executive asked when he saw Pam stood in the doorway.

 

“Everything is fine Mr Ackles” the middle aged woman said kindly.

 

“Jensen. Please call me Jensen” the CEO said as he got to his feet.

 

Pam smiled. She had heard about her new boss' reputation and had been apprehensive about taking the job, but she had yet to see any of the bad traits that she had heard about. He was just like any other anxious new parent she had worked for. “I thought I'd take the girls out for a little walk in the stroller. It's a beautiful day out there and it would do them good to get out for some fresh air. I thought about taking them to the park if that's okay?”.

 

“The park?” Jensen checked. He looked torn. “With lots of people around them? Aren't they too small?”.

 

“No, they'll be fine, I promise you. Obviously, if you don't want me to, that's fine. I understand. But it's good for them to have some interaction with the outside world” the nanny tried to reason.

 

Jensen had been paranoid about taking the babies outside for fear of them picking up germs. He literally wanted to wrap them both up in cotton wool. Shaking his head at how silly he was being, he realised that the woman was right and that he was just being over-protective. “I'm sorry. Of course. I think that's a great idea. They'll enjoy themselves”. As he started to relax, another thought came to him. “It's quite warm out there though, won't they be too hot and burn in the sun?”.

 

Pam smiled kindly. “Mr Ack-Jensen. I've got sun block on them already, they've got their summer hats on and cotton onesies and I've put the sun umbrella on the stroller and I'll keep them in the shade the whole time. I've got extra formula for them and everything I need is in their bag. I'll send you picture messages every 20 minutes if you like”.

 

The executive smiled and exhaled loudly. “You must think that I'm totally crazy and neurotic”.

 

“No. I just think that you care about your babies that's all. And being new to this just adds to it. Trust me, you're doing just fine” the nanny reassured. “I'll get them all ready and I'll pop my head in before we go”.

 

As the nanny left momentarily, Jared walked in and put down a stack of papers on his boss' desk. “I think that we are nearly back on track now. This is the last of the back log of new contracts that had been pending. You just need to go through the small print and make sure that you are happy with the terms and conditions before you sign”.

 

“Great. I thought it would take us a lot longer to catch up with this. Thank you. And thank you too for making me see sense about hiring Pam. She's great. I don't know what we would do without her to be honest. She's going to take them to the park now” the older man said, still apprehensive about the prospect of his daughter's leaving him for a little while.

 

Pam appeared in the doorway with the stroller. “I don't know how long we'll be gone for, maybe an hour? Hour and a half? All depends on when they want their next feeds. They've both taken nearly 3 ounces each, so that should keep them going for a little while”.

 

Jensen went over to his babies and smiled. “That's my girls”. He leant over to give them both a kiss on their foreheads as they looked up at him with fascination.

 

Jared smiled at the interaction and went over to his daughters too to do the same. They were both dressed identically even though they weren't identical. “I can't believe how quick they are changing”.

 

“I know. I can't believe they are a month old already. I don't want them to grow anymore, I wish they would stay this size forever” Jensen said sadly. “See you later sweetiepies”. As he waved them off he put his arms around his fiance and hugged him.

 

“They're only going to the park Jensen. We're not waving them off to college” the younger man joked as he embraced the hug. He kissed his fiance on the lips.

 

“I know. Dammit, I can't blame pregnancy hormones anymore can I? I've gone soft. Crap, I'm like a damn marshmallow. Okay, I'm the big, bad, mean, boss. I'd better haul ass and get that meeting done then”. The executive tried to compose himself back into CEO mode, not crazy father mode. He still had a business to run. “I'll just gather my things and meet you down there”.

 

“Okay. See you in a few” Jared said as he headed off to the elevator.

 

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End file.
